Different Perspectives
by a0r123
Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?
1. Dumpsters and Hearses

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter One: Dumpsters and Hearses

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><p>Today had been horrid. Eli thought as he walked along the edge of the school parking lot. He was a tad dizzy from the fall. He felt putrid and gross. A squelch bounced off the pavement with his every step, making him wince in disgust. Even with this sound, Adam stuck by his side, looking over his friend with bile caught in the back of his throat. The two were slowly making their way to the buses.<p>

"I can't believe that just happened!" Adam spat. "Owen has no right to push you around like that. You need to do something, Eli."

Eli glanced at his friend. "Im not fighting him, if that's what you're asking. I don't fight people. Because in truth, violence doesn't solve anything, it just makes a bigger mess." Eli handed Adam his backpack while he attempted to shrug out of his button up shirt.

Adam snorted. "That is exactly why Owen tortures you." Adam held the bag in his hand, swinging it along with his step. Eli ran a hand through his hair, picking out some grime from the dumpster.

An hour ago his was in the dumpster. Owen had thrown him in there because, yet again, Eli had been called a sissy. Owen and the rest of his gang had cornered him behind the cafeteria. "Where's your mommy, church boy?" He snarled, pushing Eli against the wall. His goons snickered. Then one minute Eli was on solid ground, the next choking on trash.

That's where Adam had found him.

Eli took off his now muck stained dress shirt, leaving him in his good jeans and an undershirt. "I don't see what your problem is with fighting." Adam argued, leaving the sidewalk. "It's just—"

"Adam!" Eli called. He grabbed at his arm to pull him back. Before he could take another step, a black hearse rolled into the spot where his foot would have been, coming to a hault. Adam recoiled, hopping away from the vehicle.

The windows were rolled down and punk rock meoldies emulated from the stereo system. The door swung open and Eli and Adam watched in awe as a pair of black Chuck's hit the pavement. Then followed by the worn out Converse, came a girl. Her chopped curls were pulled back out of her face, a grimace graced her lips. She adorned all black. A concert tee fitted her slim curves, dark ripped jeans clumg to her thin legs. She climbed out of the driver's seat and looked over the pair with her piercing blue eyes.

"Can watch where you're going?" She smirked. No threat lingered on her words but a menacing glare still focused on the boys.

Adam gulped. "Sorry, I wasn't watching." He mumbled. Eli watched the girl glance at Adam, her eyes scanning over his tiny frame.

"It was my fault," He cut in, her gaze left Adam and rested upon him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was talking to him and he got sidetracked. He- he didn't see where he was walking." Eli was stuttering. This girl before him was almost intimidating. He would never be starting conversation who appeared that way. He didn't mean to judge but he never really had the courage to.

The three just stood there looking at each other, wondering what was to happen next.

She eyed them a few more seconds more then sighed, "Just watch where you're going next time, okay?" I wouldn't want to see you or your friend as roadkill." The girl rolled her eyes briefly then turned to climb back into her death trap. Eli and Adam just stood there in shock.

Before anything else was said, the hearse rolled away. Eli glanced at Adam, Adam glanced at Eli. Even with the recent dismissal, a silence lingered. Suddenly Adam laughed. Eli furrowed his brow at his friend. "What just happened?" Adam choked out. His face had begun to turn a bright shade of pink.

Eli couldn't help but laugh along with him. "I think—I really don't know." Eli replied then awkwardly reached out and snatched his backpack away from Adam.

"I think she likes you." Adam mused. The comment was quite random. "It's sweet she doesn't want to see you as roadkill."

"Us—" Eli corrected him, playing along with his banter. "She doesn't want to see us as roadkill. So don't worry, you may still have a chance with her." Adam just burst out laughing again.

In his fit of giggles he suddenly stopped. "Dude, you reek." He deadpanned. Eli glanced at the light blue shirt in his hands, then at the trash bin.

"To be honest, I don't think any of the stains will come out." Eli said.

Adam nodded towards the garbage. "Then go right ahead," He prompted.

Eli looked at the shirt one last time. "You're right." He agreed and droppd the shirt into the bin.

The two guys then began crossing the parking lot. When they reached Eli's bus Adam spoke up, "So do you think she likes me?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Just shut up, okay?" Eli replied, trying to be as kind as possible about it.

Adam only chuckled. "See you tomorrow, Goldsworthy." He waved and disappeared down the isle of buses.

Of everything that happened today, the brightness of that girl's eyes caught his attention the most. She had very pretty eyes. He thought and rounded the front seat to find a spot for the bus ride home.

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	2. English Partners

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 2: English Partners

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><p>"Do you know some of the greatest works of all time? Letters. They reveal the hearts and souls of world leaders, of great artists, and now of you." Miss Dawes peeled away an assignment from the others and dropped it on Eli's desk. He flipped over the stapled work to see in bright bold ink, "C". This was crazy. He had written an essay on gun control, which was very good if he did say so himself. He had never gotten a C before.<p>

"Miss Dawes," Eli asked. The woman turned to him; adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, Eli."

"There must be something wrong," He argued; picking up the paper to refer to his grade. "This is a mistake."

"Well, your early assignments were divine but recently your writing has become, distant; impersonal." Eli was completely offended. He had worked hours at his laptop to perfect this piece; all of his pieces had fine detail and voice. Maybe she had forgotten.

"I used complex sentence structure _and_ advanced vocabulary." He stated, pressing hard on the printer paper between his fingers.

"Yes, but your assignment didn't tell me anything about who you are; what you want. You can't hide behind facts and articles forever Mr. Goldsworthy."

"I—I'm not hiding." Eli stuttered.

"Then prove it, to your writing partner." She said and motioned towards Clare Edwards who was sitting in the desk in front of him. From behind her, Eli could see the uncapped Sharpie doodling aimlessly on her fingernails and skin.

"Me?" She questioned, a smirk probably adorning her pretty little face.

"Yes you. You write well but… you're a little wordy. You and Eli will be editing and revising each other's work this semester." She smiled.

Eli glared at the back of her head. Those golden brown curls of hers were srunchied into a tight ponytail while neon lightning bolt earrings dangled from each ear. For some particular reason he did not want to be paired with Miss Know-it-All Edwards this semester. Just thinking about her unending sarcasm made him want to vomit.

"Great," Eli muttered. "That will be fun."

"I see we have a very special partnership on our hands people. Oh, like Silva Plath and Ted Hughes." Miss Dawes mentioned excitedly.

"Silva Plath killed herself," Clare spat out beneath her breath. Suddenly the class of junior students errupted in a quiet wave of chatter and giggles.

Eli rolled his eyes at the comment and slammed his book shut. The prerecorded bell rang and the students dispersed, leaving only Clare and Eli in the classroom. He rushed to shove his books in his bag and head for the door but Clare met him there, shoving Eli into the door frame. He scoffed, which only received a silly shake of her head in return. It was as if his struggle to her was amusing.

After pushing past him at the door way, Clare hiked her backpack onto her shoulder and disappeared down the hall. Waiting for Eli outside Miss Dawes' room was Adam, but he hadnt really noticed him yet. He was too interested in the goregous senior chatting with Holly J.

"Still have the hots for Miss. Coyne?" Eli mused and elbowed him in the gut. Adam jumped at his contact and smirked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" He shifted the bag on his back and glanced Eli in the eye. "She's breathtaking, isnt she?" He said dreamily, almost to himself, rather then his friend.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Eli offered.

"And why don't you talk to Clare?" Adam shot back.

"What about Clare?" He asked. She was his new writing partner not his new girlfriend. Adam should have nothing to say about her.

"I saw your scramble at the doorway. I was right,"

"Right about what?" Eli asked curiously.

"She likes you." Adam said a matter-of-factly.

"As if." Eli snorted and let Fiona catch his eye. The two seniors were heading their way. Plotting quickly, he grinned and looked between drooling Adam and Fiona approaching. "So are you sure you don't want to talk to her?" Eli asked.

"I wouldn't know what to say—"

"Think fast!" Eli called and pushed Adam in Fiona's direction. The two collided. Fiona jumped in surprise as Adam ran into her and Holly J stepped out of the way just in time to see a flustered Adam try and talk to her friend.

"Oh, um, hi Fiona," He choked out.

Fiona pulled back just as confused. "Oh, hi," It seemed like a name could not come to mind. "It's Adam… the quarterback's brother, right?" And in two seconds flat, Adam's face fell.

"Um, yeah, I'm the other Torres." His hand reached past his shoulder to nervously rub the back of his neck.

"So, it was nice seeing you around." He muttered shly.

Fiona gave a small smile before glancing at Holly J in disgust. "Sure, see you around." She said before manuvering past Adam and relinking pinkies with Holly J. Adam pivoted to watch her walk away, a sigh escaping his lips.

"Tough break," Eli said and patted him on the back. "Atleast she knew your name." he smiled reassuringly at his best friend.

"Just drop it, Eli." Adam spat back, very unamused. He moved his backpack to the other shoulder and turned the opposite direction.

"She'll remember you now," Eli called over his shoulder at Adam's retreating figure.

"Forget it, Eli." He replied and shoved the double doors open to the parking lot. Eli looked behind him to see him disappear and ran after him, smiling.

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	3. Getting Official

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 3: Getting Official

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><p>After the final bell rang Eli waved goodbye to Adam from the parking lot and made his way home. It wasn't very far from Degrassi to the Goldsworthy residence and he needed the time to think. When he came to his doorstep Eli only saw Cece's car in the driveway. Bullfrog's truck was nowhere to be found. He shrugged away the thought and unlocked the front door. Inside, he set up his laptop and notebook to try and brainstorm for the rewrite of his paper. Miss Dawes had given him an extension and Eli was to meet up with Clare sometime tomorrow. He found a spot at the kitchen table with a snack, but before he could go into much revising, Cece appeared at the foot of the stairs.<p>

"Oh, Babyboy, I didn't know you were home." She commented, adjusting the fixtures of her earrings in the hallway mirror. Cece was wearing a new outfit, which was something she never did. "Have you seen Bullfrog around anywhere?" She checked her reflection one last time before facing her son. "I've been looking for him."

Just as she finished her sentence, Bullfrog came through the door. Deep bags hung beneath his eyes and the duffel bag in his hands seemed to weigh a ton. "Good afternoon, Cece." He said, a weak smile coming over his face; a smile not reaching his eyes. Other than his weary expression, he said very little.

"So there's this fundraiser tomorrow so I decided to try something new." Cece mentioned, removing a piece of lint from her sleeve. "What do you think?" She asked; smiling brightly.

Eli watched Bullfrog already have his cellphone out, "Oh," He jumped, quickly scanning his eyes over Cece. "It looks fine." He immediately immersed himself in his phone once more.

"That's it, just fine? I spent all morning trying to put this together." Cece said, some agitation showing in her words.

"I heard tone," Bullfrog muttered.

"Really?" Cece replied with attitude.

"I don't want to argue, Cecilia." He growled and snapped his phone shut, shoving it back into his jacket pocket.

"Why are you guys fighting _this_ time?" Eli asked beneath his breath; his head falling to his hands.

"We aren't fighting, Babyboy," Cece assured him. "It's disagreeing." And with that Cece disappeared upstairs again.

A sad frown appeared on Bullfrog's face as she walked away. "Hey Eli," He said quietly and reached for his duffel bag from the floor. "I'm sorry, son," He muttered and turned away to head back out the door.

Eli shifted towards the blank document and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He hated when they fought and the arguments these days have been getting worse.

Xxx

Before any classes had begun, Eli had found himself in the Media lab. He had worked through a majority of the night fixing his paper but wanted to try and edit some material one last time before class started. Adam suddenly burst through the door, a blinking cell phone in hand.

"Dude, did you sleep in or something? I tried texting you this morning."

Eli glanced at Adam briefly before turning back to his work. "Writing." He answered and zeroed all focus in on the screen.

"My brain wouldn't shut up about Fiona last night. I need someone to talk to. The insomnia was killing me." Last night, the silence between Eli's parents was fatal.

"If you need girl advice so desperately, you should talk to one." Out of the corner of his eye Eli saw Adam glance around the room. He watched his eyes land on the one and only Alli Bhandari.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"The best way to get the information is from the source." Eli told him with his eyes still glued to the computer screen. "Go talk to Alli." He shooed Adam away and finished his revision just in time for the bell.

Xxx

Eli sat atop a desk and faced Clare Edwards. Today she wore a pair of gray skinny jeans and some scary film's commercial tee. An apple was held by her mouth as her eyes scanned the page. A hum of contemplation left her lips and she glanced up at him briefly and bit into the fruit.

"Well?" Eli asked my editor.

"Um…" She started, chewing on her apple; her gaze switching between her partner and the paper. "It's—"

"Awkwardly constructed, full of hyperbole and generally sloppy."

She hesitated with a response. "The title's centered?" She added.

He groaned, "Dawes is right, I do have writer's block."

"So don't hand it in." She answered simply.

"What, tell her the dog ate my homework?" Eli snapped sarcastically.

She leaned a tad closer, lowering her voice, "Or you could… _take off_."

"You mean _skip_?" He corrected her.

"If you want to get official." She remarked and took another bite of the apple.

Eli thought about it. "It would give me time to write a way better assignment." He mentioned aloud.

Suddenly the bell rang. Students rushed to their seats, while others filtered into in the classroom tardy. Clare looked around at her scrambling peers, almost chuckling at their hurry. She turned back to him with a devious smirk across her face, her brow rose with excitement. "Decision time," She jeered, continuing to look around the room filled with pre-due date jitters. "Stay or go?" Her hands floated in the air, weighing the options. He followed her eyes to see the other students. Eli wanted a better grade and here was Clare offering to help him. He stuck his hand through the straps of his backpack and lifted it up off the floor. He then shoved his paper inside and hopped off the desk. At a sideways glance, he saw Clare looking at him with confusion.

Eli went as far as the door before he spun around to see if she was following, "Are you coming?" He asked.

Clare looked at him, then the rest of the room and shrugged. The apple was held between her teeth before grabbing her bag on the way out. She followed him out of Miss Dawes' classroom and to a side exit, leading to the outside parking lot.

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	4. Skipping School

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 4: Skipping School

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><p>"I still don't understand this," Eli muttered, leafing through Clare's paper. Miss Dawes had been correct when she said Clare was wordy. He had made a good handful of markings with better vocabulary and run on sentences. But yet the girl had still gotten a better grade than him.<p>

"What is there not to understand?" Clare asked, bringing the coffee cup to her lips once more. They were sitting outside the Dot with drinks and red pens, fixing each other's work. After leaving campus, they didn't have an exact place to disappear off to so Eli had suggested the local café. He liked it there anyway.

"I don't get how you got an _A_ and I only received a _C_ on this assignment. I added _quotes_ with _citations_; do little extras like these mean _nothing_ anymore?"

"Cool it with the _italics_, will you?" Clare replied; clearly rolling her eyes. "I still don't get why we're working on this." She glanced at Eli's piece in her hands before sighing. "You just ruined the entire meaning of cutting class." Clare dropped the paper beside her on the bench. "This is a complete first for me."

Eli groaned, "Can you just give me answers already? You're my English partner, isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Answers? When did I become the one with all the answers?" Clare retorted and turned to face Eli. "I'm here for revisions." She crossed her arms and straightened up in her spot on the bench. "I say it's simple." Eli glanced at her strangely. "What? You haven't guessed it yet?" Eli furrowed his brow and stared at her. "I got the better grade because I'm having a secret lesbian affair with Miss Dawes." The grin on Clare's face widened and Eli scoffed. After letting out a big laugh, Clare composed herself and continued. "You're a good writer, Eli, and there is nothing wrong with gun control, but the point of the assignment was to write about something personal. Do you have a personal connection with the way the government controls arms? Because I surely don't."

Eli shook his head. "This is _so_ helpful," He remarked. "Please continue."

Clare thought for a second. "What I meant say is: You need to write about something that pisses you off,"

"Besides my English partner?" Eli said to her face while crossing his arms as well.

"Ouch!" She shot back, fake pain painted across her facial features. Clare then struggled with the right words. "Ok, I got it: if you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?" At that moment something in the atmosphere softened. Just the harsh look on her face had become less intimidating and made it appear like Clare Edwards really cared.

Eli thought about all the things that went on in his life, but what stood out the most was his family. Bullfrog and Cece had been at it for months now. They always had something to argue about and everything gave him a head and heart ache. "My parents; they're not exactly getting along." He replied quietly, almost still in thought.

"So write about them." Clare said.

"I can't." Eli told her. "That's too personal."

"And that is where you have the problem." Clare pointed out. "You care too much about what people think."

"I do not." Eli replied defensively.

"Really?" Clare asked and Eli nodded confidently. "Then scream." He looked at her puzzled. "Scream at the top of your lungs right now where everyone will hear you."

Eli gulped and looked around the crowded street. People cluttered the sidewalk and they all seemed peaceful. It wasn't right to disrupt them with his screaming. So he straightened himself, took a deep breath and let out a yell.

It was pathetic.

"_That's_ the best you could do?" Clare snorted.

Eli tried not to lash out at her so instead took an even bigger breath and stood up. He quickly glanced back at Clare, who was smirking at him. He gave a shot at smiling while he burst with a scream. Passerby jumped at the sudden cacophony. It wasn't everyday a sophomore boy screams out of nowhere. After a few more seconds of yelling, Eli pivoted back to give the girl a successful grin.

"Alright, it's your turn now." He told her.

"Not my style." Clare yawned and began standing up to walk away.

"Come on, seriously? You have to…"

"I don't have to do anything…"

The two began bickering back and forth. Eli continued to follow her as she walked away. "You have to-"

Before Eli knew it, he had cornered Clare against the nearest telephone pole and just like that everything had changed again. No more laughs escaped from the students' lips. For some reason, the breath had hitched in the back of Eli's throat. His gaze had landed upon Clare's eyes. They were a sparkling electric blue; even her pupils had a glimmer in them.

Their banter ended with Clare's fingers tightly grasping his wrists, almost making sure he didn't come any closer yet she hadn't pushed him away. They just stood there; looking at each other on the bustling block. Clare was the first to move a muscle. She pushed him away and with her nose to the ground walked back to the bench. Eli remained stock still when she brushed past him but couldn't help but turn to see Clare's face blushing pink.

Clare cleared her throat and for the first time Eli smirked at her. He stuck his hands in his pockets and watched her collect herself from the fluster. Then Clare awkwardly took a seat, crossed her legs and looked everywhere but him.

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	5. Presentation

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 5: Presentation

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><p>Eli had gone from public humiliation to even worse. At this point he didn't care if he got thrown into dumpsters by Owen for the rest of his high school career. He was under no circumstances reading his piece aloud. First, he was horrible in front of crowds. Second, he didn't want Cece to hear his paper. And third he didn't like how Clare Edwards had made him a softy. She had literally forced him into this mess and he hated himself for turning into a wimp for a girl; even Clare Edwards.<p>

"You're going to have to go in there," Adam told him. They were outside the auditorium. Much against Eli's will, Adam had dragged him to the reading.

"I certainly will not." Eli replied in a huff and tightened his grip on his rolled up essay. No matter what, he was not walking in there.

"I don't know what your problem is. Just yesterday you seemed thrilled about how things were going."

"Yeah, until I took a step back and saw how Clare was affecting my brain."

Adam snorted. "How so?"

"It's one thing when you are ridiculed for your religion; it's another when you become sap at a girl's fingertips." Eli ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"So you're not going to say this stuff to your parents because you want to maintain your manliness?"

"I had such little testosterone to begin with, Adam." Eli muttered and glanced up to see his friend not very amused. "I mean, I put up no guard. With a snap of her fingers I became an open book. I told her about my parents. I told her that it bothered me. I told her the things I would tell you. Adam you are my best friend, I can tell you this stuff. But her? I just met Clare a week ago! I spilt my guts out to a stranger and made a complete ass of myself."

"For a being such an ass, you finally straightened out your parents' situation. Eli, you and I both know you have been bugging me for weeks about your family. And as soon as Clare shows up-"

"Yeah, yeah and the minute Clare shows up I see the light." Eli rolled his eyes and shoved the paper in his back pocket. "Bottom line: I'm not reading this aloud."

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Clare approaching; her black combat boots echoing down the deserted hallway. "Um, I'm gonna go. Good luck." And with a pat on the shoulder, he was gone.

Eli glanced down the hall to see Clare and quickly pushed open the door to the auditorium.

"Eli," Clare called after him. "Wait!" She caught the door mid swing and followed him backstage.

A few dozen students were eagerly waiting to be called to the podium. The nerds were mingling with each other and it made Eli feel sick. Then Clare caught him by the arm.

"Hey, I was trying to talk to you." She said, keeping a grip on his sleeve.

"Hey, I was trying to get out of here." Eli mocked and pulled out of her reach.

"I thought you wanted to tell your parents. What changed?"

"Nothing." Eli muttered.

"Something definitely has." She replied with disappointment in her voice.

"I know I've been honest with you these past few days and it's been great talking to you, but don't think we should hang out anymore." Eli said and looked away from Clare to the stage where Sav was introducing the first reader.

"What do you mean? You're not making much sense, Eli." Clare said, folding her arms in front her chest.

"This is my family. I know you probably think my shell needs to be cracked and I shouldn't care what people think of me, but I do, okay? I especially care when they start calling me a wimp. I may not have much of a reputation, but I am not a wimp."

"I never called you a w-"

"Not specifically you, but others. I already get thrown in dumpsters for believing in God and really don't need to have any new nicknames for letting you to walk all over me." He pushed past her towards the door but Clare stopped him again.

"Wait a minute, I did what?"

Eli stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "I just don't want to hang out with you, okay?" He then stormed out the door, chucking his paper in the nearest trash bin.

Clare just stood there confused as hell. The other day Eli Goldsworthy was this nice, smart kid, and the first person who wasn't scared of her. Now all of a sudden he hated her and she no idea why. Once Eli had disappeared down the hall, Clare glanced at the stage to hear Sav announcing "Mr. Eli Goldsworthy," Clare looked at Sav and shook her head. "He left." She called to him and walked out of the auditorium in a sulk.

Xxx

Eli had walked home. In the mid-September air he tried to cool down but he just couldn't. Yes, Clare had finally got him to admit there was something wrong with his parents. Yes, Clare was fun to be around but he didn't like how he was acting around her. He probably had made her think he was weak; pathetic. He wasn't any of those things. Eli was still a guy; he could still want some dignity.

He had made it to his front step in good time and pushed open the door to find Cece in the kitchen. "Hi Cece," He called and kicked off his shoes at the door.

"Hi Baby boy, how was school? I thought you were going to the student reading today with Adam. I went, thinking I would get a chance to hear some of your work." Eli rummaged through the fridge and grabbed an apple.

"I lost my paper. Miss Dawes didn't know and still put me on the list." He grumbled and took a bite out of the piece of fruit.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Cece told him and finished cutting up some carrots for dinner. "There's always next time, Eli." She said and tossed the carrots into a bowl.

"Yeah," Eli mumbled in thought and took another bite. He wiped away the juice from his chin and sighed. "Cece, what's going on?" He was being blunt.

"I'm making dinner."

"No I don't mean that; I mean between you and Bullfrog."

Cece stopped preparing dinner and turned to her son. It seemed that with just the mention of Bullfrog's name, her expression became pained. "I don't know. I don't talk to him much anymore. He's always at the radio station these days."

"Is there any way you can find out?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'll try Baby boy." Cece gave him a soft smile, but more that she was reassuring herself rather than Eli.

"Well, thanks." He said and picked up his books and other belongings to do some homework in his room.

Xxx

Eli had given up doing work. Not even the straightforward math problems were making sense. Nothing made sense. His parents were having issues and he couldn't do anything about it. Eli was lying on his bed. His room was quiet and the only noise audible was the spinning of the ceiling fan circulating the air. Then he heard a noise. It sounded like a rock on glass. Eli immediately turned to his window to see a pebble caught on the sill. Then the noise was heard again and another pebble appeared in view. Eli scrambled out of bed and came to the window.

On the ground below there stood Clare. She looked the same as before; her hair wasn't knotted in a bun, her curls framed her face. Heavy black make up was drawn around her crystal blue eyes. That day she had worn black skinny jeans with combat boots. She also adorned a fitted purple tee and pinstriped vest. She continued to stand there as Eli only stared at her; very confused of why she was in his yard and where she had even found it.

So instead of continuing to stare, Eli pushed open the window and stuck his head outside. "What are you doing here?" He called down to her.

"Hi Clare, how are you? I'm fine, thanks for asking." Clare replied with a snarky tone and Eli chuckled.

"Hi." He said and found a comfortable spot in his window frame. "May I ask what you are doing here now?"

Clare ran back to her hearse by the curb and leaned inside to grab something. She returned to him with a paper in her hands. "You forgot this." She yelled, raising a rolled up paper above her head in the air. Eli then remembered the essay he trashed this afternoon.

"I don't want it." He said bluntly.

"I'm giving it to you." Clare said. "Here, take it." She hiked back an arm and threw the paper at him, though the action was much more forced than the result. The paper shot a few feet up into the air before fluttering back down to the glass. Eli let out a laugh.

"I told you, I don't want it back." Eli said, accidently letting another laugh escape his lips.

Clare left her frozen state of just staring at the essay in the grass and ran to pick it up again. Eli heard her groan in frustration and mutter a few words beneath her breath. Then she straightened up and tried tossing the paper again; resulting in yet another failure. Just as she was about to try once more, Eli stopped her.

"Fine, I'll take it." He called and left the window to run downstairs. He didn't even acknowledge his mother making dinner in the kitchen; he continued to run outside to meet Clare.

When he rounded the corner, he found her standing beside her hearse at the curb. She looked a bit defeated that her original plan didn't work, but he saw her face lighten when she caught a glimpse of Eli in front of her.

"Here" Clare said and outstretched the hand holding his essay. Eli sighed and took it from her. He stuck it in his back pocket and turned to leave but she stopped him. "I'm sorry." She muttered. Eli paused and glanced back over his shoulder. "I'm sorry for involving myself in your business. I had no right. I just met you and we hardly know each other. So I'm sorry for making you a wimp. I'm sorry for invading your personal space and I apologize for wasting your time." Clare stepped back and pulled open the driver's door, planning to leave. She was just backing away from everything like it never happened. Eli watched her step inside the hearse, shut the door, and turn the key in the ignition. Right before she put the vehicle in drive, Eli spoke up.

"Wait." He wasn't sure if he'd regret this later but he didn't care; this wasn't a person he wanted to lose just yet. He faced Clare and approached the hearse. "I'm sorry for being a jerk to you." He said. "I don't know why I acted that way. I really don't, but can we try this whole friend thing again?"

Clare took her hand off the gear console and looked up at him. "You're forgiven. We were both jerks at each other so I guess a do over can be called for."

"Sounds like a plan." Eli nodded and gave her a small smile.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Guess you will." Clare replied and returned to him a lopsided grin. Then she turned her attention back to her hearse and pushed it into drive, before taking off down the street.

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	6. Project

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 6: Projects

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><p>"Adam! Come on!" Eli called over his shoulder to his best friend. The two boys were dashing down the deserted corridor to Advanced English. They were late; very late to be exact. Eli ran to the back door of the classroom, coming to a halt right by the entrance causing Adam to knock right into him.<p>

"What are you doing?" Adam hissed in Eli's ear.

"Waiting," Eli whispered back, and peeked into the classroom.

"We will be beginning a video project today." Miss Dawes announced and turned her back to the class to grab some papers.

"Now!" Eli said to Adam and sprinted into the room, gracefully sliding into the desk behind Clare. Adam followed close behind except kicked one of the desks on accident. From the noise, Dawes suddenly turned to face her students, a skeptical look coming across her features. Then she spoke up, "Nice of you to finally join us Mr. Torres," She said. Eli glanced at Adam with a sympathetic smile. "And Mr. Goldsworthy, I'm glad you arrived as well. You both will be taking a detention after school today." Miss Dawes said and shot a wicked grin in Eli's direction, peering over her half rimmed glasses. "You came just in time for the next assignment. Let me repeat myself, this is a video project. You will be taking Shakespeare's plays and putting a modern twist on the plot. So pair up and come get a play package." The teacher smiled and made her way back to her desk to hand out the packets.

Eli felt something poke his shoulder; he turned to see Clare's pen jabbed into his arm. "You, me and Torres?" She asked and brought the pen back to her mouth to chew on the cap. Eli glanced at Adam, who gave him a cheesy grin, then looked back at Clare and nodded. Simultaneously, both Eli and Clare rose to fetch the project materials. The two came close while maneuvering out of the awkward desks.

From his view, Eli couldn't help but smirk at the fading bruise on Clare's lower lip. She had gotten the battle scar from her run in with Bianca Desousa, the HBIC of the Degrassi streets.

Clare had pulled into the school lot last week to find Bianca, Owen and their goons standing in her assigned parking spot. There wasn't much of a scuffle then but the hearse's hood ornament was torn off. Furious at Bianca, who tossed the skull to the pavement, Clare spat back a retort that angered the opposing girl. Scowls were exchanged but nothing else. Eli knew of this because he and Adam were bystanders to the scene. They were on their way to find Clare when she didn't show at their meeting spot. The issue was temporarily solved, or so Bianca thought, and she left, leaving Clare frustrated and Morty's hood ornament broken but she received the injury the next day. Clare and her friend Imogen had gotten a fake ID for Bianca as a truce, except the girls used the identity of an escaped criminal. Imogen contacted the police and Clare picked a fight with Bianca over her reputation. Just like that, a cat fight broke out and Clare was socked in the lip. Bianca was taken down to the station for fake ID possession. Eli found Clare later that day outside the school with a bloody lip. He wiped away at her cut and of course they argued about fighting but she said she "took care of it."

Anyway, they were still standing there in English class when Eli finally spoke up, "I got it," He said and smiled at her before turning around and heading for Dawes' desk. He waded through the rows of chatting students and took a spot in line to receive a packet. While waiting, Eli looked back at his friends. Clare was talking to Adam about something and he couldn't help but notice their glances in his direction. When Clare's gaze met his, Eli immediately looked down in embarrassment and quickly shuffled closer to Miss Dawes' desk. The guy in front of him was handed the _Romeo and Juliet_ packet and in Dawes' hands, intended for Eli, was _Macbeth. _He noticed the groan and sour frown on the guys face. Thinking quickly Eli spoke up "Mark!" He said and reached out to hold him back. The boy turned, "What?" He asked. "I can take Romeo and Juliet if you want. I bet you'd like Macbeth a lot more." Eli looked at Miss Dawes, "We can do that, right, Miss Dawes?" He saw his teacher smile. "I'm perfectly fine with this decision. Are you, Mark?" Eli saw Mark look from the teacher to Eli and grinned. "Yeah, sure. I'm in a group with all guys. This would have been really awkward." He told them, handing Eli the _Romeo and Juliet_ packet and taking _Macbeth_ from Miss Dawes. "Thanks," Mark said and pivoted away to meet his group of jocks in the far corner. Eli looked at Miss Dawes to see her scratching down something. "Let me guess," She said, still focused on her writing. "You, Mr. Torres, and Miss Edwards are taking on this project?" Eli smiled sheepishly. "You know us too well." He smirked and squeezed the packet in between his hands. "Good luck, Mr. Goldsworthy." She winked and moved on to assign the next student.

Eli went back to his friends. "Guess what?" He asked excitedly. The two looked at him in confusion. "I got us _Romeo and Juliet_." Adam stuck out a hand for a high five and Eli clapped his hand against his. He then found himself turning to Clare. She was happily smiling, but somewhere in her eyes he could see an inkling of nervousness.

Xxx

After classes, the trio all piled into Morty and headed for the park downtown. The ride wasn't long and they easily made it there in good time. Eli, Adam, and Clare made their way past the childish swings and slides. They entered a quieter section of the park and began to set up. "I call camera man!" Adam announced and snatched away the camcorder from Eli's grip.

"Well I knew from the start that I'd be Juliet." Clare said and took a seat on one of the nearby benches.

"And I guess that makes me Romeo." Eli replied and smirked up at Clare who was pulling her hair out of its tight ponytail. She was wearing something much different today. Instead of her usual gothic attire, Clare was dressed in denim skinny jeans and a fitted navy blouse. On her feet, were graphitized neon Chucks. He noticed that the color of her shirt really made her eyes stand out and Eli couldn't help but stare. She was stunning. "So let's get started." Eli said, clapping his hands together.

"In the original play, Shakespeare wrote that Juliet finds Romeo and he is already dead." Clare recalled, taking a seat beside Eli.

"True,"

"But I doubt Romeo could die instantly. Poison can't run through the human body that fast."

"The two lovers would have some time."

"Exactly, Juliet could find Romeo still breathing." Clare agreed.

"And they could share one final kiss." Eli finished talking and took a moment to glance at Clare. She was speechless. He saw the rosy blush blossoming on her cheeks. She just looked at him, slowly comprehending the words he had just spoken. Eli looked away, doubting that she would ever agree to something like that but finally she replied.

"Y-yeah," She stuttered, a smile tickling the corners of her mouth. Eli grinned back.

"That's cute." Adam smirked and both Eli and Clare turned to catch him roll his eyes.

Xxx

Eli was looking down at Clare, who lay on the picnic table pretending to be dead. He could clearly see she wasn't. Her eye lids fluttered and he could feel the gradual rise and fall of her breathing beneath his hand resting gently on her side. She was really beautiful, he thought. "Juliet, I will join you in the afterlife." He said. Eli then reached over to picked up the Coca Cola bottle. "Death come quickly," He continued and unscrewed the cap. "So I can be with her ASAP." Eli smirked at the last line before taking a swig of the soda.

Then Clare awoke, rose into a sitting position and faced him. There was a glimmer in her eyes. "Romeo! You drank the high fructose cola beverage, no!" She cried as Eli set down the now empty bottle beside him. He looked over the emotions coming across her face. He saw a twinge of thrill, a shortness of breath and anticipation in her eyes. Slowly but surely, Eli leaned over to kiss her.

At first, both of them were hesitant. They sat a distance apart and carefully brushed past eachother's noses. Then his lips gently found hers. Her lips were soft. When his mouth met hers, a chill ran down the back of his neck and shot down his spine. Eli felt Clare's hand reach up to wrap around his shoulder and the other, tangle her nimble fingers in his hair. There was no pull on the roots but the fact that they were there made Eli place his hand on her upper arm, pulling her a tad closer than before.

He wanted to kiss her longer; much longer, in fact but of course that wouldn't be right. He pulled away and took a deep breath. He felt her hands leave his hair, dragging past his collar before lifting off of him. He couldn't even see the look on her face; he dropped to his back with a thud and squeezed his eyes shut. It was hard not to smile. Every nerve in his entire body was screaming for more.

"Star-crossed, not for long. I will see you in the afterlife, Romeo." Clare recited before picking up the toy gun and shooting herself in the heart. She collapsed to the wood table.

"And… cut!" Adam said. Eli could hear the click of the camera. In moments he sat up and watched Clare sit up herself. Her curls had fallen to one side of her. In the autumn light, he watched her glow. "I think that was a good take." Adam exclaimed, alreadly scanning through the taken footage.

"No other takes or anything?" Clare asked breathlessly. Eli couldn't help but turn to her and smirk.

"Nah, I think we're good." Adam answered without even looking up at his two friends. Completely emersed in the camcorder's screen, Adam walked off; leaving them alone.

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	7. Mistakes

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 7: Mistakes

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><p>Eli walked into Advanced English the next morning with a light heart and a cheesy grin plastered to his face. Adam tagged not far behind and slid into his desk. "Why all the happiness and rainbows?" He sneered and opened his notebook.<p>

Eli scoffed, "I am not all happy and rainbows, Adam. I'm just in a good mood." He replied and smirked at his best friend. "I mean, you were there yesterday, weren't you?" He gave Adam a knowing look. Adam shook his head chuckling.

Then Clare appeared in the doorway. Out of the corner of his eye, Eli watched her make her way to the empty desk in front of him. Her bag was tightly clutched close, and a stern look crossed her features. Heavy eyeliner was drawn around her crystal blue eyes and Clare's bright red Chucks squeaked on the polished tile as she found her seat.

"Good Morning, Edwards." Eli said; leaning over his desk to whisper it close to her ear. Her curls smelled fruity and sweet. He smiled.

But Clare didn't reply. She only shrugged away from him and looked straight ahead, impersonating a statue. "Can you not spit into my ear, Goldsworthy? I would appreciate it." She uttered beneath her breath. Her words were sharp and he felt a sting. Eli backed away in defeat as Clare reached over to pull out a composition notebook for today's lesson.

"Good Morning, class!" Eli heard Miss Dawes announce enthusiastically but he only sat there slumped in his seat; hurt and confused. Yesterday Clare had kissed him and he could clearly tell she was left breathless, but why the change of direction? And so quickly? It was like she was hot and cold.

Xxx

After the bell rang Eli grabbed a hold of Adam at the doorway. "Dude, what's going on?" He asked urgently, keeping a loose grip on Adam's sleeve.

Adam furrowed his brow and frowned. "Honestly, I have no idea. When I left you guys at the park yesterday you two were all blush and banter. Did you say something to her?" He detached Eli's hand from his arm.

"That's what I wanted to ask you. Did you see her at all after yesterday afternoon?" Eli questioned, but Adam only shook his head in reply.

"Sorry, Eli." Adam sighed and looked around the crowded hallway. Students were buzzing from lockers and class rooms. In the craziness of it all, Adam spotted a familiar face. "Hold on a sec, isn't Clare like best friends with Imogen?" He asked, and pointed to the pigtailed brunette standing a few lockers away.

"Yeah, they pulled that prank on Bianca together last week. Do you think she would have told her about yesterday?"

"I bet she would. Teenage girls tell each other everything." Adam rolled his eyes, glancing back to the girl down the hall. Imogen was definitely strange. She was an outsider at Degrassi. When Eli asked Clare about her one time, she said they met in detention back in sophomore year but other than that, Eli didn't know much about the girl.

"I'll meet you at lunch, okay? I want to try and figure something out here." Eli told him, Adam shrugged and hiked his backpack up on his shoulder.

"Good luck, I heard she's psycho." And then he walked off.

Eli turned back to Imogen. She was wearing this tight fitted corset and tank top. A skirt and leggings combo covered her thin, long legs. The clothing was mostly black and gothic. Eli took a deep breath and headed over to her locker. It didn't take her long to realize someone was coming for her; Eli had only approached the open metal door before she turned to face him. A wicked smile adorned her face and Eli stepped back in surprise.

"You must be Elijah Goldsworthy." She stated. Eli hadn't even said two words to this girl and she already was creeping him out.

"And I've heard you're Imogen Moreno." He replied skeptically and awkwardly reached out his hand.

She took it and gave it a firm shake. "Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you." She said, and adjusted her Buddy Holly glasses. Imogen definitely was an odd ball. Eli began to notice the little things about her; the mismatched rings clinging to her fingers and the funky necklaces dangling around her neck. Even her hair was out of whack.

"Um, you're friends with Clare Edwards, correct?" He asked her.

Imogen nodded. "Of course." She replied and closed her locker door with a bang. The girl then leaned against the bank of lockers with books clutched in her arms. Eli noticed Chuck Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters sticking out of the pile.

"This may sound weird but has she been acting differently today?" Eli adjusted the strap of his bag and waited for her to respond.

Imogen had paused in thought. "Clarebear did seem a bit frigid this morning." She looked at Eli. "Do you know why?"

"No, I actually don't but I was wondering if you knew. You see, she's my English partner and I wanted to make sure she was okay."

Imogen giggled. "You like her."

Eli instantly denied it. "I care about her." He corrected with a quick reflex but Imogen continued to laugh.

"I know you're lying, Elijah." She said, making Eli cringe. He hated his full name.

"I care, that's all." He glanced down the hallway to see nobody around. "Anyway, do you know what's wrong with her?" He was getting impatient and didn't like this Imogen character very much.

"She didn't tell me exactly, but you can ask her yourself. I saw her outside in Morty last period, she may still be there." Then Imogen pushed off her locker and brushed past Eli. He turned around to see her skip down the deserted corridor and disappear around the corner.

Eli shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to find Clare.

Xxx

Eli wandered around the school parking lot looking for the hearse. You would think that the death trap would be an easy target but Eli now begged to differ.

Students hung around the back seats of pick-up trucks and propped their lunches on the hoods of cars. It was lunch. Eli passed some Friendship club members sitting beneath a shady tree close to the building and gave them a wave. He would have stayed for a bit to chat but he needed to find Clare.

Just past the buses lined up in the lot, was Morty. The windows were rolled down and an alternative beat was heard. Looking closer, Eli found Clare's face in the shadow of the front seat. She wore a frown on her face and looked bothered.

"Hey!" Eli called to her a few feet away. She turned to glance at him briefly before starting the ignition. Morty roared to life before his very eyes and was leaving the spot; puttering away.

"Wait!" He yelled and threw his book bag to the ground to chase after the vehicle. He rounded the front of it and pushed his arms out, preventing Clare from running him over.

"Just wait. Give me two minutes."

He saw Clare check her watch and stick her head out the window. "Two minutes, go." She shouted back to him over the melodies coming from her speakers. Eli walked over to the driver's side. Clare's gaze followed him.

"What is wrong with you?"

Clare snorted. "Well that was blunt." She reached for her phone to find a new text. "And it's funny because Imogen is convinced you care about me." She flashed him a sarcastic grin and tossed the phone to the passenger seat. "You got a minute and a half now."

"I mean, do you have an issue with me or are you just some psychopath who likes to jerk people around and hurt them?" Eli asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Clare rolled her eyes. "I thought I liked you." He said aloud. "You were tough and mean but I figured out there was soft center inside you and I wanted to see it."

"That soft stuff is only vital organs, Goldsworthy." She replied with sass. "And who said I liked you back? Yes, maybe I'm the latter. Maybe I like to see pain inflicted on others for fun. That's what I call "rock hard exterior."" She crossed her arms.

"Seriously?"

"Yes seriously." She spat. "So now you can have some privacy and I can't? You made this huge deal about your personal space and here you are bombarding mine." Her expression was still quite sour.

Eli couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief.

"I'm sorry I lead you on." Clare's electric blue eyes met his. Their stare lasted for a moment before she kicked the hearse into gear and drove off leaving Eli in the dust. He stood still for second, watching her disappear before he kicked his backpack hard and groaned.

"Fuck." He muttered and scooped up his bag. He stood there in frustration before heading off to find Adam.

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	8. Past Love

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 8: Past Love

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><p>Adam was found on the front steps the next morning with drool dangling just past his lips. Across the parking lot stood Fiona and Holly J. The two girls were chatting with coffee cups in hand and expensive purses slung over their shoulders. Even in the casualty of the moment, Adam was still star struck.<p>

Eli on the other hand was bent over his laptop messing with video clips. Their project was due next period and there were plenty of edits to be made. Clare had gone AWOL on them; sending a brief text to Adam that she couldn't continue the project. "I can't believe she did this to us." Eli grumbled and dragged the audio into the mini movie.

"Do we even know why she left?" Adam asked, still gazing at the two seniors now heading towards the steps.

"Nope, not a clue." Eli replied, his eyes remained trained on the screen but looked up when he heard the bubbly voice of Fiona Coyne near. He glanced at Adam and smacked his arm. "Can you wipe the drool off your face and say something to her?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam scowled at his best friend but wiped away the spit with his sleeve. "Thanks." He said sarcastically. "What could I possibly say to her?" He cleared his throat. "Hi Fiona, I just wanted to say that even if you think I'm a complete loser, I really like you-"

"Really?" A voice asked. The tone was almost hopeful.

Adam immediately turned to see Fiona looking down at him. Holly J stood a few steps ahead with a shocked expression.

"Um," Adam glanced from Eli to Fiona to the ground, to try and hide his blush. "I-I kinda do." He said, keeping his gaze to the ground.

Fiona giggled. It wasn't hurtful laughter but almost shy. "Are you going to the Dot after school, Adam?" She asked; her eyes bright and smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Adam cleared his throat. "I can be, if-if you want me to be there."

Fiona grinned. "It's a date." She replied cheerfully and continued to walk up the steps. When she reached the door Fiona gave Adam a small wave. Still in disbelief of what had just occurred, he returned her wave with a dazed look on his face.

After the two disappeared inside, Eli clapped Adam on the back. "Congratulations, Young Grasshopper. You just got yourself a date with the most popular girl in school." A goofy smile plastered Eli's face while a much delayed grin finally crossed Adam's who then began to laugh.

"Was that a dream? Please tell me it was. It certainly felt like one."

"Nope, that was entirely real, my friend." Eli said and turned back to his laptop.

"Can you just pinch me? Because I'll be completely honest, I have dreamt about that when I doze off in Biology."

Eli shook his head laughing. "Pinch you? Seriously?"

But before Adam could reply, he felt a kick in the arm. "Realistic enough for you now, freak?" Fitz jeered and received a round of applause from his gang. Both boys looked up to Mark Fitzgerald sneering down at them. His lower lip curled into a snarl and a hint of darkness clouded his eyes. Eli rolled his eyes, and watched the bully walk up the steps victorious. His friends clapping him on the back and bustling inside the building like a pack.

"Just ignore him, Adam." Eli said. "If you do anything back to him, you'll end up like me: in dumpsters." And as if nothing had happened, he turned back to his project and fixed another clip in its new frame.

Adam scoffed, and rubbed his shoulder; still tense and sore from Fitz. "I really don't get you sometimes, Eli. It amazes me how you let people just push you around." He continued to rub out his shoulder then reached for his bag and stood up. The bell rang just as he reached the main doors. "Come on, Quaker. We gotta get to class, with or without Miss Edwards." He swung open the door and shuffled inside.

Xxx

Eli stared intently at Miss Dawes as she watched their movie project. A small smile was held on her lips, she seemed pleased with the presentation. But then the smile began to fade.

"Adam," She called, removing the headphones. "Eli, can you two come here for a second."

Eli glanced at Adam and sighed.

"What did you _do_?" Adam hissed at his friend, as they approached the teacher's desk.

"Boys," Miss Dawes began. She tilted the screen so they could see the video. "What is this? The beginning was beautiful, very well captured, but then something changed." She pressed play.

Clare and Eli had just pulled away from the "final kiss." They remained there for a still moment, until Eli collapsed on the bench in a heap. Then the video cut. A quick accidental shot of Clare walking down the sidewalk appeared and the words, "A typical fairytale" were typed in bold font.

"And _fin_," Eli muttered quietly to himself.

"It's different." Ms. Dawes said, and adjusted her glasses. "But it did not follow the script. Juliet doesn't walk away from her now star-crossed lover." She looked back from the laptop to the boys. "Where is Miss. Edwards? Wasn't she part of this trio?"

Adam and Eli both glanced away and Ms. Dawes sighed.

"I'm giving you an extension. Find Miss Edwards and fix your grade, neither of you should be sacrificing a score as important as this one."

Xxx

"Imogen!" Eli called from down the hall at the girl who was now walking away. After she heard the cry of her name, she stopped and eerily pivoted towards Eli.

"What?" She snapped at Eli when he finally caught up with her.

"I need to find Clare." He panted but jumped when a student brushed past him.

"So do I, we were supposed to eat lunch at the Dot this afternoon except she bailed on me." Imogen pulled out her cell phone. "She was in one of her moods yesterday." The girl quickly looked up from her phone. "Did you do something to her?"

Eli shook his head. "If anything _she_ did something to _me_. She ditched Adam and me on our English project."

"She's ditching many people today, something is wrong." Imogen sighed and tucked her phone into her backpack. "Come on, Elijah Goldsworthy. Let's go find Clare." She reached out her hand to clutch his wrist and pull him down the busy hallway.

Xxx

Imogen explained that she didn't own a car yet, but she was getting one soon—a hearse just like Clare's to be exact. So instead of trying to find a car in the senior parking lot, Imogen dragged Eli down the sidewalk away from campus.

She still held a tight grip on Eli's wrist and he had to admit that her strong hold was getting a tad painful. Imogen kept a confident stride all the way into town until they came upon the residential houses. A few blocks later though, the girl made a sharp turn down a private road and let go of his hand.

"Follow me, please." She whispered to him, before approaching a simple, two-story house. Eli watched Imogen place her books on the front step. He thought she would ring a doorbell or something but instead, she led him around the back of house.

Imogen hopped up the steps to the door and jiggled the handle a few times. After doing this for a moment or two the door was pulled ajar and the girl slipped inside. From inside the house, Eli saw a hand motioning him to still follow her.

Hesitantly, Eli crept up the steps and walked through the door. Imogen was already out of the kitchen and heading for the living room. Eli stayed where he was. It was strange to be in Clare's house, especially when he wasn't even formally invited.

He looked around the average kitchen. It was pretty normal. The walls were painted a deep blue and the appliances were stainless steel. The fridge hummed and clock tick-tocked away somewhere else in the quiet house.

Then the space wasn't so silent. Far away, probably upstairs, Eli heard some muttering. Next thing he knew, Clare was being ushered down the stairs by Imogen right at her back.

While Imogen bore a smile on her face; a real genuine grin, Clare appeared with a frown. The two stepped into the kitchen and at the sight of Eli, Imogen turned to Clare.

"Call me later, okay?" She chirped before walking past her friend. She even gave Eli a pat on the shoulder before disappearing and closing the door behind her.

Eli and Clare just stood there in the family kitchen.

The silence had returned.

"Sorry for intruding." Eli spoke up. "I don't usually come to other people's houses without invitation. Imogen wouldn't let me leave, though." Eli glanced at the door and rubbed his wrist, which was still sore.

"Don't worry about it. She's stubborn." Clare rolled her eyes and leaned against a countertop. "It's Imo's way or the high way."

Eli chuckled. "You got that right." He looked up Clare and caught a smile on her face.

"Why are you here, Eli?" She asked. The smile was gone.

Eli gulped. "I told Imogen I needed to talk to you—"

"About what?"

"The project—"

"Why?"

"For _many_ reasons actually."

"Name one." Clare crossed her arms.

"Well, Dawes gave us an extension because you bailed on us so I had to improvise. Apparently my easy fix wasn't worth much."

"Name another."

"What is wrong with you?" Eli snapped.

Clare stopped.

"Do you have PMS or something? The other day we kissed and I thought we had a connection; something going for us." He watched Clare stare at him. "But now, now you're acting like a total bitch."

He paused.

"Ok, that was out of line. But you certainly are not being the nicest person on the planet." Eli scoffed, looking back at the door once more.

"So besides coming to my house to offend me, was there anything else you wanted to say?" Clare's arms remained crossed.

"If you are going to continue this charade, I don't want to be friends with you." Eli said. He watched her face fall.

"Maybe it's for the best." She sighed and began to turn away.

"I need to know why you don't like me."

He heard Clare groan. "Please don't do this to me." She stopped trying to escape upstairs and stepped closer to him. Her eyes stayed level with his and an explanation was on the tip of her tongue but somehow she just couldn't say it.

"I'm waiting." Eli remarked and folded his arms across his own chest.

"My boyfriend died last year." Clare spit out.

Eli felt the energy drain from his face. Her boyfriend _died_?

Clare rubbed her temples. "Last year, we got into a fight. He hurt me. I yelled at him." She took a deep breath. "Then he left me and drove off to the ravine."

Eli held his breath when a few salty tears formed around the rims of Clare's eyes.

"The police found him dead the next morning."

"What happened?"

"He had overdosed." She whimpered. "Reese overdosed last year and ever since then, I've been scared. I've been scared of losing people and scared of dying. I'm scared of trusting people because in truth, everyone gets hurt in the end. I'm scared of getting close to you. I don't want to be left alone again." Clare dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. "I lost the person I loved the most; the one that made me happy. I pushed him away and looked what happened." Clare sighed. "I don't deserve to be happy anymore. Why should I?"

The tears forming in her eyes began to dribble down her cheek. She wiped at her face with her sleeve and sniffled.

Unsure of what to do next, Eli looked down at the floor. He tapped his toe on the linoleum and wondered what he could do to help. "I'm sorry." He said, and he meant every word. He reached a hand out and held on her forearm. "Nobody deserves to be alone. Nobody deserves to be unhappy." He lifted her chin up with his fingertips. "Be happy Clare." He told her and tried to get Clare to smile.

"Thanks," She whispered and pulled away from him with a sad smile. She wiped away another salty stain trailing down her cheek.

Xxx

The next morning, Eli met Clare and Adam outside Dawes' classroom. His black flash drive was clutched in his hand and a grin was plastered across his features. "Ready?" He asked the other two, and they bother nodded.

The trio entered the room and handed in the flash drive. Miss Dawes watched the original version of their Romeo and Juliet. Eli could help but blush when he and Clare kissed on screen.

"Now that's more like it." The woman nodded in approval. "Good job." She smiled and stood up from her desk to prepare for the next class. Adam, Clare and Eli left the room and congregated outside in the hall.

"I can't believe you wanted to hand that other video in for a grade." Clare laughed.

"I needed to improvise." Eli replied with a smile.

"So I see we're all on speaking terms again?" Adam commented.

"Of course," Clare told him, and caught Eli's eye. "We were just looking for some understanding, that's all." She grinned at Adam who only rolled his eyes.

"Good because I'm going to need to both of you to help with my second date with the very fine, Fiona Coyne."

Eli laughed. "See, I knew you had it in you!" He exclaimed and gave his pal a high five.

"You were right," He wiggled his eyebrows. "She _totally_ wants me."

Clare laughed.

Then Adam spotted someone down the hall, "I gotta run; need to find out plans for date number two!" He said happily and trotted down the hallway to find Fiona.

Eli only shook his head and chuckled.

"So, I've been thinking," Clare said. "Would it be a good idea if Romeo gave Juliet some time? I mean, if they hadn't been so hasty with the death pact and things were different, do you think he would give her chance to arrange her thoughts?"

Eli nodded, "Sure, I think Romeo would give Juliet as much time as she needed."

"Really?" Clare asked.

"Of course," He smiled before both of them shyly turned away. "I know that since Romeo truly loved and cared about Juliet, he would be more than happy to." Eli looked up to see Clare's eyes sparkle and just that sight took his breath away.

**Note: I apoligize for taking so long! I've been swamped with school and work! But I wanted to get this chapter up now, hope you all enjoyed it :D Make sure to send a review! The review button is still a tad lonely :P**


	9. Rubber Arms

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the bright colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 9: Rubber Arms

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><p>Midterm week: the best and worst week of the year. It's the best, because there aren't any classes during the day but the worst, because you have an entire week of testing. Eli sighed as he hopped off the bus and made his way into the school building. Walking to his locker he met up with Adam who was studying World History notes. Adam's was so distracted by studying that he almost ran into a few students passing by. "Whoa," Eli exclaimed as he pulled his friend of out the way of a freshman. "No need to run into niners." He laughed and watched Adam come out of his working trance.<p>

Adam rolled his eyes. "I wasn't knocking into them on purpose, but I really need to get a good grade. My mom will kill me if I don't pass. She lectured me this morning on every Canadian school district's testing scores." He groaned. "It was torture! Especially after hearing that if my grades didn't improve I would lose my Xbox for a month, which is why I'm studying like a mad man." Adam snorted. "No Black Ops for a month? I think not."

Eli nodded in agreement, it would be horrible.

"So why don't I see you studying like crazy?" Adam asked as they headed towards the library. "You're not even freaking out. I'm surprised; I thought that after your little scheme yesterday, you would be even more of a nervous wreck."

Eli quickly hushed Adam, "Shut up, will you?" He nudged Adam in the shoulder hard. "No one needs to know about that. I was helping Imogen and Clare out, that's all."

Adam chuckled. "Right, helping. If you deny it one more time that you don't like Clare I will tell her myself."

"I'm not denying anything." Eli replied smugly. "I'm just waiting for the right time. We agreed on it. I haven't pushed her for anything. I mean she's still getting over her dead ex and all."

Adam came to a halt. "Wait a minute, dead ex? Why was I not aware of this?

"You never asked." Eli shrugged and took a seat at one of the open tables. Adam slid into the chair beside him and began reading the note sheet again. Then Clare appeared at the library entrance. When Eli caught her standing there she waved him over. "I'll be right back." He told Adam and got up to meet her.

"Good Morning, Edwards." He smirked.

"Hey," Clare smiled. Her usually chopped hair was curled and a tiny black bow pinned some of it back. She wore an oversized gray sweater and skinny jeans. Her neon converse had words doodled on the toes and the makeup on her face made her eyes bright. "I have something to ask you." She said and pulled on his hand to bring him over the bench outside the library.

"Ask away." Eli smiled, enjoying the touch of her hand around his.

"Well, I first wanted to thank you for yesterday." Eli furrowed his brow. He hadn't exactly told her about the stink bomb. Simpson was asking around but no one had fessed up.

"Um, thank me for what?"

"You know," Clare hinted. "The stink bomb. I know it was you who set it off in the girl's locker room yesterday."

Eli shook his head, trying to deny her assumption. "No, that wasn't me." He lied.

"Really?" Clare asked. "I mean it would take a pretty smart person to successfully set one of those off and you knew that Imo was pissed at Bianca for the past few weeks. You really can't deny anything here, Mr. Goldsworthy. I know too many facts."

"Facts? These are facts?" Eli smirked.

Clare giggled.

"Well I agree on the intelligence factor. I will be taking that as a compliment, Edwards—"

"Aha! So it was you!" Clare exclaimed and playfully nudged him in the shoulder.

"I'm a criminal."

And in Eli's mind, he was. He had never done anything of the sort before Clare came along. But yesterday he heard Imogen all fired up about Bianca's attitude. The girls hated each other. It was Imogen and Clare versus Bianca and her gang, the groups were biting at one another all semester and Eli was worried one of them would get hurt. When he heard Bianca forcing Imogen and Clare into the locker room before gym class, Eli jumped into action and found the supplies he needed. He found a whiffle ball rolling around in the gym and lit it up with a student's cigarette lighter. In seconds, the bomb was tossed into the girl's changing room. Eli first heard the shriek of Bianca before he stepped back and watched his friends run out of the intoxicated room. The place reeked. Adam approached Eli trying to blow the fumes away from his face, but it wasn't helping. Mr. Armstrong had to evacuate the gymnasium. When he and Adam ran outside, Eli caught a glimpse of Imo and Clare escaping in Morty away from campus.

"What are you going to do? Simpson is looking for the culprit."

"I'm not sure, never been in this kind of situation."

"Well, then let me handle it." Clare smiled and jumped up to meet Mr. Simpson who was passing them in the lobby. "Hello, Sir." She chirped, catching his attention.

The principal turned to see Clare and smiled back, but he seemed a bit distracted. "Good morning, Clare." He replied.

"So, I hear you're looking for the person who set off the stink bomb yesterday." He nodded. "Well, I'd question Bianca Desousa and her gang. I heard them bragging about it on the front steps this morning." She stated with a straight face.

Mr. Simpson took this information into consideration and turned to Eli. "Mr. Goldsworthy, is this true?"

Eli quickly nodded. "Yes sir."

The man smiled. "I'll look into it, thank you." And with that he walked away.

"What if Bianca finds out?" Eli asked her, after Simpson had left.

"Then I'll handle it."

Eli crossed his arms; trying not to pout. He didn't like this situation at all.

Clare pivoted towards him, her mouth contorted into a playful smirk. "I feel like you should be thanking me right now."

"I saved your butt and you saved mine. Thanks, Edwards." Eli laughed and noticed her step closer to him. He wanted to make his move. "We're a pretty good team." He grinned and stepped towards Clare.

"I was also thinking that a payment should be in order."

"Oh?" He asked, a smirk forming on his face. "What did you have in mind?" His brow raised in question, waiting to hear what she'd say next. Eli watched her eyes look him up and down.

"I think you already know." Clare said quietly.

He wanted to taste her. The way she stood in front of him with that look on her face teased him. Damn right she knew what he wanted. She could probably hear his heart beating a thousand miles a minute and see the lust hiding behind his eyes. He knew he was too obvious.

"Do I?" He asked and reached his hands for her slim waist. His fingers tugged on the fabric of her sweater and brought her closer to him. Then he leaned down and captured her lips with his. She tasted like peppermint toothpaste and some kind of fruity lip gloss. He sucked on her lower lip hard for an extra second before pulling himself away. Her eyes were still closed. Her lashes fluttered and he then saw her electric blue eyes staring up at him. Eli let go of her clothing and backed himself away. "I have a French exam." He told her.

"I think you just passed it." Clare replied breathlessly.

Eli smirked and stepped away from her; looking down at the floor and walking across the hall to the next testing classroom.

Xxx

The test took too long. Eli tried to concentrate but nothing worked. The questions on the test seemed to blur before his eyes and he constantly had to tap his foot, click his pen or glance at the clock every few seconds. Clare was swarming his mind and he couldn't think. It had been an hour since their kiss and it was nauseating to be unable to see her. He wanted her taste in his mouth again. Eli shook away his fantasies when he realized he only had twenty minutes left. He gathered his thoughts and jotted down the remaining answers on the test before the proctor called time.

He was let out of the classroom and ran to his locker in a rush, hoping Clare would meet him there. He wanted to kiss her again. What do you know; he found her leaning against the metal door. She was texting; her fingers fumbling from key to key, trying to quickly send a message. Eli stopped beside her and reached himself as close to her as possible. "Miss me?" He whispered in her ear with a grin.

Clare jumped and shut her phone with a snap before turning to him with a seductive smile curling at her lips. She was inches away from him and it was driving Eli crazy. "Uhm-hm," She hummed and teased her breath on his lips.

Eli smirked and made his move, he leaned down and for the tiniest moment he kissed her again, but it didn't last long.

"Hey freaks!" A male voice shouted from down the hall. Eli painfully parted away from Clare to see who was yelling. Approaching them was Owen Milligan, Mark Fitzgerald, and not too far behind walked Bianca Desousa. The three came at them quickly with scowls on their faces.

Owen punched the locker beside Eli's head with a bang. The grimace remained plastered to his face. "We just spent an hour in Simpson's office. Someone told him Bee set off the stink bomb." Eli glanced at Bianca. Her arms were crossed and an identical dirty look held her features; Eli couldn't help but smirk. Then he felt a shove. "_You_ set off the stink bomb, you little dick." Owen said, pushing Eli against the bank of metal doors.

Clare shoved Owen away. "It was because that _skank_ of yours was threatening Imo and me." Clare growled and sent daggers in Bianca's direction.

"Aww; how cute." Fitz remarked smugly. "Altar boy's got a body guard." Eli eyed Clare, but her expression didn't change; she was still pissed.

"Aww; look, Fitzy boy can assess the situation for once." Clare mimicked Fitz's tone with a grin on her face. Mark scoffed.

"Enough," Owen spat, eyeing the people around him. Suddenly a teacher passed by, glaring at the group from afar. They stood still until he disappeared down the hall and then Owen spoke, "You are fixing this." He told Eli. "By the end of the day, if you don't fess up about your little prank—"

"You'll regret you ever stepped into this school." Bianca cut in, eyeing the misfits carefully. "Got it?" And with that the girl turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction. With a few grunts and menacing glares, the other two boys followed behind her.

When they had disappeared down the hallway Eli glanced at Clare who was steaming. Her face was scrunched into a scowl. "We have to do something." She muttered, before falling back into the bank of lockers. She looked up at him trying to find some answers.

"I'm not violent." Eli quickly replied. "I don't punch or fight or poison people." He shut his locker and turned to her. "I'm a Quaker and I won't change."

"The only way to get rid of all this is to keep the bully scared; keep them on their toes and out of our hair."

Eli sighed. "Can you forget about them for _one_ minute?"

Clare stopped and nodded.

"How about you lay low with your boyfriend? You know, hang out, watch a movie, _and not_ get into trouble." He hinted, looking her right in the eyes.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Clare asked.

Eli took a deep breath. "Twist my rubber arm, _girlfriend_." He said and extended his hand to her.

Clare looked down at his hand. "I thought you'd never ask." She smiled and wrapped his arm across her shoulders. With her other hand, she reached over and hugged his side and with that the two made their way down the hall.

**REVIEW!**

**AN: I apoligize for taking so long again. I've been busy with school and work, but my job closes for the season in a few weeks. Which means my weekends will be opening up and I can get these chapters out quicker! Thank you so much for your reviews and alerts and favorites! They really make me happy :) So review away! I want to see what you guys think! :D**


	10. Making Plans

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Chapter 10: Making Plans

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><p>Trouble struck at lunchtime. Eli was hopping down the front steps with Adam, when Owen slammed into the two. Adam's sandwich bag fell to the concrete and the animal then stomped on it, destroying the contents inside. "You're coming with me," He snarled and grabbed both Eli and Adam under the arm. They shuffled towards the shady side of the school by the dumpsters. Awaiting them was Bianca, Fitz and the rest of their crew.<p>

Bianca stepped forward. "My friends and I are in trouble because of you." She said as she picked at a long fingernail.

"Yeah, and?" Eli snapped, receiving a harder shove from Owen at his back.

"You're going to have to pay for what you did." Eli eyed the brat. "Fitzy here has the eyes for your little girlfriend, you know, the bitch you were protecting?"

"Bee-" Fitz began.

"Shut it, Mark." Bianca snapped and hushed the Neanderthal. "In order to pay back for what you did, Fitz will take Clare to this little school party. No if's, and's or but's because otherwise both you and your little tranny will be beaten to a pulp. Got it?"

Owen kicked Eli and Adam to keep them attentive. "Got it?" He growled in their ears.

Adam gulped. "Yes, Sir." He replied and glanced at his friend alarmingly.

"You got it." His tone was gruff. Eli shoved Owen away from him.

"Good." Bianca said. "Make sure she's at the door by seven."

"I'll be waiting." Fitz finished before heading past the boys and squaring Eli in the shoulder.

They turned around to watch the gang disperse in the crowd of chattering students for lunch.

"What are you going to do?" Adam asked. "Or the even bigger question, what are you going to tell Clare?"

Just then, Clare appeared on the green. "Let's find out." Eli said and walked towards her.

"Hey, you." She smiled. "I was just about to look for you."

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Eli asked her and clutched her hand to bring her inside. The hallways were deserted for the lunch period. The two found a bench to sit on.

"What's up?" Clare asked. "How did your French exam go?"

"It was way too long." And with that, Eli dove down to quickly capture her lips. It wasn't even the end of the day and he had already kissed her twice.

Clare deepened the embrace but for only a moment. "As much as I enjoy this, what did you have to say? You looked a bit shaken outside."

Eli held back a sigh. "It's Bianca and her gang. They found out."

"So, now what are we going to do?"

"Their truce involves you going to the dance with Fitz."

Clare scrunched up her nose in disgust. "Gross."

"But with this plan, they will be out of our problems. We'll be even."

"You know I don't want to go to with that meathead, right?"

Eli nodded. "Of course."

"I want this to end as much as you do."

"Then go. We can make plans for before the dance and then hang out over break."

Clare looked Eli over. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

"I want this feud to end, Clare and if having one little measly date with Fitz to a school sanctioned event will solve everything. It's fine by me if you go."

Her brow rose suspiciously. "But?"

"_But_, I swear, if he lays a finger on you, I don't care what the bible says, I will hurt him."

She gave him a weak smile. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything, alright? I'm with you. I like you way too much for anything to go wrong."

"Good." He then kissed her one last time.

Xxx

Eli was getting ready for the dance. Even if he couldn't go with Clare, he still wanted to see her tonight and make sure Fitz stayed in line. He finished buttoning up his shirt and reached for the bright red silk tie on the end of his bed. Eli knotted his tie; he slicked his hair back and fixed a belt to hold up his khakis. Then he called Adam to check what time he would be arriving with Fiona. On the other end of the phone, Adam was freaking out with nerves and Eli calmly told him everything would be fine. "You two have been hanging out together for weeks, Adam. She's probably just as psyched as you are about this dance. It's your night to have fun, Dude."

After Fiona had asked him to the Dot a few weeks ago, Adam and Fiona had been inseparable. Eli was surprised they weren't together yet but Adam insisted he was waiting for the right time to ask her. Eli was happy for his best friend. Adam hadn't had the best of luck with Degrassi girls and he was really enjoying his time spent with Fiona.

Eli's phone rang around 6 o'clock. He answered the call from Clare and smiled. "Hey, ready for me to pick you up, beautiful?" He heard a pleasant sigh on the other end.

"Yes, I'm ready."

"I hope you're not too dressed up; wouldn't want to give Fitzy the wrong idea."

"Don't worry; my outfit choice is very appropriate tonight."

"Good, I can't wait to see you." Eli said and walked into the kitchen to take Clare's rose out of the refrigerator. "My mom's driving me to your house and I guess we can take the hearse to school."

"That's the plan. I told my parents about it yesterday. Everything's a go. Ready for this?"

"Of course." Eli replied and carefully placed the boxed flower into his backpack. "See you soon." Eli snapped his phone shut and quickly grabbed a jacket before heading for the living room. "Hey mom, can I have a ride to Clare's house?"

His mother turned to look at him, her eyes leaving the television screen. "Ok, Baby boy." She said and got up to grab her keys.

Xxx

"I hope tonight goes smoothly." Clare sighed. They were sitting in the hearse, parked in the school lot. Students had already begun wandering inside the building for the dance. The decorations were themed for a Vegas Night. Eli remembered Fiona telling them that there would be gambling tables and slot machines set up in the gym and from just from the outside, everything looked so festive.

Eli and Clare had fifteen minutes before Fitz arrived. In fifteen minutes, Mark would probably be tapping on the window and taking Clare away from him for the evening. It was a sick thought. "I know it will." He looked at Clare and gave her a reassuring smile but he was positive it was him who needed the reassuring.

Clare smiled back. Her face was beaming even with all the dread of facing Fitz. She was stunning tonight. Clare wore a simple black dress but it fit her perfectly. It wasn't too revealing or too prude. Her hair was spun into perfect ringlets that stopped above her collarbones. Eli even caught a glimpse of shiny diamond studs clasped to her ears. The makeup made her crystal blue eyes even brighter in the moonlight and it just took Eli's breath away. He was the luckiest guy in the world to have this girl. "You look beautiful." He complimented.

"Thank you, Eli." From what he could see, a blush had rushed to her face.

"And a beautiful girl deserves a beautiful rose." Eli reached down by his feet and took a box out of his backpack. Inside was laid a single red rose. He handed her the box and grinned when he saw her expression light up.

"Oh Eli, this is beautiful. Thank you." And with that, she wrapped her arms around him for an embrace. Eli savored her touch but regrettably opened his eyes to glace at the time. They had minutes left until Clare needed to be on the front steps for Fitz.

Eli was then startled by a tap on the passenger window.

**I apoligize greatly for my hiatus. I cant even remember the last time I updated this story... But I hope some of you guys are still interested in it. I've have writer's block for some time now but hopefully I'll have the next chapter up sooner than later! Please review I want to see what you all think! -Anne xoxo**


	11. Face the Music

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the alter boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 11: Face the Music

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><p>After Eli left Clare with Fitz, he followed close behind into the school. Starting at the entrance and into the gym, the school was dressed for the occasion. The ring of slot machines, chatter of students, and thumping of a rhythmic beat overwhelmed Eli as soon as he penetrated the dance scene. His first intention was find Adam and Fiona but as soon he found them he planned on keeping an eye on Clare and the meat head for the rest of the evening.<p>

Eli finally spotted Adam and Fiona by the punch bowl. The two were laughing hysterically at some funny joke. He approached them with a smile.

"How are you guys? Having fun yet?" He asked the pair. Adam nodded enthusiastically and Fiona hiccupped with a smile on her lips. Eli noticed Fiona taking sips of drink from a tinted water bottle and was becoming gigglier by the second. With another swig from her bottle, Fiona draped an arm across Adam's shoulders and announced, "Come dance with me, pretty boy!" Adam laughed and led her out to the dance floor. Before leaving Eli, he glanced back at his friend. "Isn't she adorable?" He smiled.

Eli glanced at Fiona, already halfway through the crowd, walking around in an almost drunken stupor. "I'd keep an eye on that one." He warned before watched Adam run after his date.

Eli saw them leave and grabbed a glass of punch. He was just about to take a mouthful when someone took hold of his sleeve.

"I'm glad you stayed." Clare whispered in his ear.

"I couldn't just leave you here. Besides, I think I need to keep an eye on Adam tonight too." He pointed Adam and Fiona out to Clare. At the moment, Fiona was almost grinding the kid in the center of the crowd.

"Is that Fiona?" Clare asked. "Is she drunk?"

Eli's eyes widened. "No, she can't be. She wouldn't do that to Adam."

He felt Clare give him a skeptical look. "She wouldn't." He glanced at her and caught an eye roll.

Then Clare grabbed tighter onto Eli's arm, almost spilling his punch.

"Fitz is back." She muttered. "Shit."

"What did he do?"

"He got handy on the dance floor so I ditched him because I told him if he touched me I'd kill him."

Clare eyed Eli's punch and got an idea. "Can I have a drink?"

"Sure," Before Eli could pour some more punch; Clare slipped something into Eli's glass from her purse and quickly ran with it. "Hey, I have your punch- Clare? What are you doing?"

"Handling this!" She called to him and made her way across the dance floor.

Eli sighed and watched her go. He leaned back on the edge of the table and just took everything in. He walked into this mess knowing how miserable the night would be. Maybe he could just stand off to the side for the remaining time. That was his plan, until he ran into Imogen.

"Hey Eli," The quirky girl grinned. "Seen Clare yet?"

"Yeah and she just ran off again. She said she was handling things, without much explanation."

"Good." Imogen replied. "I heard Bianca wants to talk to you."

"What?"

"Yeah, Bianca was by the poker tables and I heard her talking about you." And with that, Imogen skipped away. Eli was puzzled. What did Bianca have to say? She had already ruined his night. He hoped she wouldn't make things worse.

Eli glanced towards the direction where Imogen had come from and caught sight of Bianca. She was there alright. Beside her, Eli noticed Adam's older brother Drew, and Alli Bhandari. Drew looked like he was going to break down and Alli already had tears streaming down her face. Drew tried to reason something with her but the girl pulled out of his grip and fled.

"What are you looking at, pansy?" Bianca sneered.

Eli's eyes left the scene by the poker tables and turned to the bully. "Just trying to survive this night. You know, the one you murdered?"

"Yeah, about that. Tonight's been going well, so far our deal still stands. We'll leave you losers alone."

"Thanks." Eli replied and was about to shake her hand when Fitz barged in and vomited all over Bianca's dress. Eli coiled his hand back to avoid the mess and heard the girl screech with fury.

"What the hell, Mark!" She screamed. Her arms were up in the air and her entire body cringed in disgust.

Mark wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stumbled aside; away from Bee. "Sorry, I don't know what happened." He muttered and sputtered out a few coughs before leaving the gym.

With Bianca so enraged, Eli shoved himself into the crowd of students gathering around. In all the riot, Eli spotted Clare watching everything unravel with a grin on her face. Suddenly, she caught his gaze and as soon as he had found her, she was gone. Eli quickly followed her out into the hall and took her by the arm. "You did this, didn't you?" He accused, pointing his finger at a giggling Clare.

"It's not nice to point," She told him with a straight face.

"Clare, they were going to leave us alone! If you hadn't done," He motioned towards the gymnasium, trying to summarize what had just happened, "_Whatever_ you just did to Fitz, this could have been over! All of it!"

The smile fell from Clare's face. "I'm sorry."

"What did you do? Poison him?"

"Ipecac." She replied, trying to hide the smirk coming across her lips.

"What?"

"It makes you puke. I told you, if Fitz laid _one_ finger on me I'd kill him." Clare argued but paused for a moment. "Ok, well not _kill_ him, but hurt him like he's done to me, you, and Adam since day one."

Eli groaned in frustration and nervously ran a hand through his hair. "Did you think about what would happen now? Bianca is furious, Fitz is sick and the rest of their gang is willing and able to beat us all to a pulp." He tried to calm down but his body was already seething. Eli sighed heavily.

"I'll think of something, okay? We can tell Simpson-"

Eli cut her off and began to pace back and forth in the hallway. "Tell Simpson what? That I set off the stink bomb? That there was a cat fight in the girls' locker room? Face it, we're screwed."

Clare winced at his words. "We'll figure something out-" Just as before, she was cut off but this time, not by Eli. The sound of footsteps was echoing from down the hall. "Someone's there." Clare whispered, listening intently for more noise. The footsteps were growing louder by the second.

"Follow me." Eli instructed and grabbed Clare's hand to tug her along. The two dashed down the hall in the opposite direction but soon came to a dead end. The wide double doors to the rest of the school were locked up. "I wonder who it is."

"A teacher?" Clare guessed.

"I don't think so."

At the end of the hallway, a shadow appeared in the corridor from the security lights. It definitely was not a teacher. "Hey!" A gruff voice called. Anger flooded the person's tone. Eli took a closer listen and heard the squelching of rubber on tile. The sounds they heard were then given a face. Approaching them at a sluggish pace was none other than Fitz. "Hey losers!" He called to them and come close enough that Eli and Clare started to back away.

"I'm very sorry, Fitz," Clare started.

"Shut up, bitch!" He yelled. Fitz looked at Eli. "Bee told me she saw you by the punch bowl before this happened. You make me sick and got this little slut to do the dirty deed." Eli's eyes grew wide when a blade slipped out of the guy's sleeve and was pointed at Clare.

Clare's face went pale and Eli thought he heard her cry. Thinking quickly, he pushed her away from himself and the blade. Clare backed up against a bank of lockers and started to sob. "Eli, please don't do this!"

"Do what? You know I did it." Eli lied. He turned to Fitz. "I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, yeah. Excuses, excuses." Fitz kept walking closer taking a tighter grip on his blade. "It's always the quiet ones with the fucked up minds, isn't it?" He sneered and adjusted his hand on the knife as Eli was backed up against the doors. "I knew you were trouble; always."

Eli had nowhere else to go. He was cornered. He started to feel a sweat. His hands got all clammy and the tie around his neck was choking him. "Please don't." Eli pleaded. "Please?" He looked at Fitz whose teeth were bared, his jaw was tight and blade at ready.

"Nighty night, freak," He jeered and then Eli went numb. His ears rung from the silence and with a scream, they stung. A dizzy feeling had swept over. The sweat that pooled on his forehead never had been so chilling. It was dark and cold. Was this what death felt like?

From falling to the ground, Eli's hands landed upon his torso and unexpectedly found no gaping hole. He felt no wound or the stickiness of blood. Another body rushed to his side and Eli's eyes shot open. He was alive. Clare was next to him. One hand was on his shoulder and the other on his shaking knee. Her eyes were filled with tears that continued to stream down her face. "I'm sorry, Eli. This is all my fault." She whispered.

Eli couldn't reply. He was too in shock. He glanced up to watch Mark get arrested. Police officers crowded the hall, their flashlights blinding him. A pair of hand cuffs was tightened around Mark's wrists and he was taken away. Once he left, Eli looked up to see the dagger stabbed into the wall.

Xxx

Eli and Clare filed out of the building and into the parking lot. The sirens had quieted down, but the police cars' bright flashing lights still spun their alternating pattern. Coming down the steps, he felt Clare's hand entangle his. He didn't know what do now. Her mischief had almost got him killed. He couldn't even muster any simple words at the moment, how could he say anything mean to Clare? He didn't want to lose her but the feeling in the pit of stomach wanted to flee.

Before anything was said, Adam caught up to the pair. "Hey, I heard there was a knife. What happened?"

Eli remained staring forward. "Fitz tried to stab me." He muttered.

Adam didn't reply. "Holy shit! Are you okay, Eli?"

"I'm fine. It was only a scare."

Fiona appeared beside Adam. Her face that once held a cheesy grin now was overridden with a tired smile. "I need to go home." She whimpered and took hold of Adam's arm.

"Sorry that I can't stick around Eli, hope you're okay." Adam said sympathetically and nodded to the girl beside him. "Come on princess, let's get you home." He caught her around the waist and Eli watched them cross the parking lot and call a taxi.

"Excuse me, is someone going to explain to me what happened here?" Eli heard Simpson ask Holly J and Sav. "I trusted you both and you lied to me. Stripping in the music studio? Knives on school property? Drunken students? This is a disgrace."

Eli felt Clare let go of his hand.

"Sir, they can't take all of the blame. I was the one who set off the stink bomb. I also was the one who encouraged Mark Fitzgerald to use his knife. I teased him. It's all my fault."

"So you lied to me?"

"Yes, Sir." Clare answered.

Simpson turned cold. "Well there will be consequences."

"We are all so, so sorry." Holly J pleaded.

"I've had enough!" The man then raised his voice. "I've never been so disappointed in my entire life."

Holly J spoke up. "We didn't mean for any of this to happen,"

"Yeah, there must be something we can do to make it better." Sav said.

"It's too late." Principal Simpson headed up the steps back into the school. Anyone could sense the pain in his voice. "There's going to be changes; big changes."

Eli glanced at Clare, Sav and Holly J. All of them looked miserable and very remorseful.

"When you all get back from break, you won't recognize this school at all." And with those final words, Simpson walked back inside.

Xxx

Everyone had left. The police cars had scattered from the scene. The night had been horrid. Fitz was probably going to Juvie, Bianca hated their guts, and Mr. Simpson was so heartbroken and disappointed in all of them. Clare and Eli sat outside on the steps alone. The night was getting colder and Eli could see the breath accumulate in front of his face. Beside him, he heard Clare shivering. Part of him wanted to comfort her and see if she was alright but the other half just wanted leave her be.

"Eli?" Clare asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me?" A chill ran down his spine as her question sunk in. No, he did not hate her. Honestly, he was still head over heels for this girl but after tonight, he had lost all respect for her. Any trust he had put in her was gone.

"No, Clare. I don't and I never will." Eli took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her shoulders. She huddled against him for warmth. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Eli." She whispered into his chest. "I hate myself for letting that happen to you. I hate myself for letting _anything_ happen to you."

That's when he pulled away. He would regret the words that left his mouth but they were eating him up inside. "This isn't a game that I really don't want to play, Clare. Poisoning people, starting fights, and all this aggression? I can't deal with it." Clare scooted further from him and kept her head down. "I lost your trust tonight. I lost any respect I had for you." Eli shook his head and began to stand up.

"Where are you going?" He heard panic in her voice.

"I need to go home. My parents are going to be worried, especially after hearing about this." He hopped down the steps and started walking across the parking lot.

"Eli, wait up!" Clare called after him, but he didn't stop. When she finally reached him, she spun him around. "I said I was sorry."

"Sorry can't fix things this time, Clare!" Eli hadn't meant to raise his voice, but he couldn't stop himself. "It can't. What's going to happen when we get back from break, huh? Bianca is going to hunt you down. What are you going to do then?" He hated seeing the pain on her face. "I can't get involved, not anymore." He took a deep breath. "If you keep playing these games and starting these fights, I can't be with you, Clare."

That's when Eli turned away. This time he kept walking and Clare didn't follow him or call out to him. The streets were quiet. The air nipped at Eli's fingertips and exposed face. He couldn't care less. In the dark, his mind wandered aimlessly. He regretted every word he had just told Clare but nothing could be changed. Eventually he would forgive her, but now it stung him too much to think about it.

**Note: I got the idea last nght around midnight and finished it up this morning. Hope you guys enjoyed it :D Please review! And I'll have the next chapter up soon! Thanks for reading! Love, Anne xoxo**

**First half of Season 10:** Completed.

**Second half of Season 10: **Coming Soon.

**Season 11: **Coming Soon.


	12. Restart

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 12: Restart

* * *

><p>He didn't know why, but sitting in the backseat with Adam on the ride to school was uncomfortable. Maybe it was because his khaki pants felt too tight or because his purple polo itched like crazy. Maybe the reason why Eli couldn't stay focused was because Bianca might just be waiting for him at the front steps of Degrassi to finish him off. No matter what the cause, Eli had been dreading his return after break.<p>

He felt someone poking him on the shoulder and came out of his foggy state to find Adam waiting on the sidewalk. "Wake up, man, the bell's about to ring."

Eli blinked his eyes and shook out his head a few times hoping to relieve the pool of fear that dwelled in the pit of his stomach. It was only school and judging by the amount of security clouding the entrance Bianca or her crew wouldn't be able to harass him without getting a detention. He took a deep breath and fell into step beside Adam to wait on the line to get past the metal detectors.

"Geez, Simpson wasn't kidding." Adam muttered. "Shit got crazy around here." The two guys watched as students were patted down and bag checked before making their way inside.

"Indeed."

For the past week, Eli had been grounded by his parents for giving them such a scare. Simpson had called them about the mishaps at Vegas Night so by the time he had gotten home, Bullfrog and Cece were pale and teary eyed. At first they coddled him and made sure he was alright but stage two of the parental haywire meant getting scolded for even associating himself with a person like Clare. In their mind, Clare was manipulative and bad news. Granted, Eli protested she wasn't which led to his grounding. So there were no hangouts or phones with Adam or Clare all week.

Eli and Adam eventually got to the front of the line where Dave's father thoroughly went through their belongings. He had to admit, it was a bit intimidating. Nothing would be left uncovered anymore. Once inside, they went their separate ways. All the locker combinations had been altered and according to the morning show being broadcasted in every hallway and classroom, many other policies. The cotton lanyard clutching his ID felt so unfamiliar and his sneakers didn't squeak right on the linoleum flooring. So much had changed.

Eli wandered into his first period Advanced English class. His heart beat erratically, in hopes of seeing Clare beside him, but his smile faltered to realize she had been suspended for another week. For one more week, he could contemplate on whether or not he trusted Clare. Over the break he had a chance to think about their situation and in all honesty, he didn't know what he would do without her. All those long weeks they spent bickering and building up their relationship made him understand that he and Clare had something good. Everyone has their flaws. If Clare and Eli wanted things to work they'd need to get over the Fitz scandal and move forward which was what Eli intended to tell Clare upon her return.

Dawes passed out the new assignments, went over the new policies again and reminded the class that their midterm exam grades would be posted bright and early Wednesday morning. Eli found he dozed off minutes before the bell and was awakened as soon as it sounded. "Make sure to read up to chapter 6 of Into the Wild tonight! There will be a content quiz tomorrow!" Dawes called from her desk. Eli nodded in response and shuffled out into the hall. There, he ran into Imogen. Her bright red polo and khaki skirt was paired with neon pink leggings and she wore combat boots. Eli didn't know hair could get so wild. "Eli!" She squeaked breathlessly. He was a tad uneasy by the fact Imogen was hugging him after he and Clare ended on a sour note before break.

"Hello Imogen," He said.

The girl hugged him tighter. "Oh it's so nice to see you! I'm so sorry about Clare but I know you two will make amends." She pulled apart their awkward embrace with a grin plastered to her face. "All in good time!" Her expression was bright and cheery, unlike many of the students that passed him in the halls, until she was about to walk away. "Speaking of good time, I'd advise you stay away from Owen and Bianca. They have a few bones to pick with you but don't be alarmed, Simpson has them on strict detention for being involved." And with those parting words, she skipped down the corridor to her next class. Eli swallowed hard and rushed to Chemistry to tell Adam.

Eli walked past the room and didn't see his friend inside. Instead, Adam was found sulking on the bench in the main lobby. Eli approached him and slid to the spot next to him. "We're gonna be late."

"You know how Fiona was tipsy at the dance?" Eli furrowed his brow at the change of topic but nodded along. "Well apparently she wasn't sober enough to remember anything that happened." He let out a sigh. "All my flirting skills were put to waste and _Goddammit_ I even kissed her too." Eli slouched back on the bench, Adam had just been bashed by a Coyne, but he was pretty impressed.

"Really? That's awesome man!"

"Eh, it's not so awesome anymore. She didn't call or answer my texts all break and just now I swear she friend zoned me." Eli clapped him on the back. "I'm really sorry, man. I guess both of us had bad luck with the ladies that night."

"You know, I hope she changes her mind about me…" Adam then jerked up. "Wait, both of us? What happened with Clare? I thought you almost got stabbed by Fitz, not heartbroken by her."

"It was Clare's fault that Fitz was going to stab me in the first place. She put Ipecac in his drink that night."

Adam's eyes bulged out of his skull. "Woah, really?" Eli nodded.

"I'll tell you rest at lunch. I don't think Mr. Betenkamp is very lenient with tardiness."

Adam jumped up and followed Eli down the hall to the Lab room. The rest of the day was surprisingly normal. Except the lull of student energy, the teachers still covered the same material and the lunch room continued to serve inedible food. Eli filled in Adam about the Vegas Night fiasco and reassured him about Fiona Coyne. She would come around.

Xxx

The week flew by. Before Eli knew it, he entered Miss Dawes' room to find Clare waiting for him. Her hair was curled and her red polo was freshly ironed. She sat atop her desk with her leg crossed over the other and never had he missed a pair of stunning blue eyes so much. "Dodged anymore knives since I left?" She retorted with a smirk.

Eli rolled his eyes. "Let's just forget that ever happened okay?"

"Trouble will still follow you wherever you go."

"I have you to thank for that." He gave her a weak smile."

"I _really_ am sorry, Eli." Clare told him. He could see it in her eyes. She was truly sorry. They looked at each other for a few lingering moments. Clare attentively chewed on her lower lip.

"I forgive you, Clare." Eli said.

Her face brightened. "Really?" He nodded at her. Suddenly, Clare hopped up off her desk and hugged him tightly even with all the other students around and watching. Eli swore he saw Dawes smile to herself. "Good because my uncle got me tickets to a Chuck Palahniuk reading. I was hoping the two of us could go for our first date." Clare was all smiles and waved the shiny red passes in her hand. "Are you in?"

Eli smirked. "Of course!" He pulled a ticket out of her grip and studied the graphics. He couldn't believe it. He had the best girlfriend in the world.

**Hey! What's up? I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this written and posted! I hope you enjoyed my start to Season 10.5! Can you believe it though? Degrassi is already up to Season 12! Boy, do I have I a lot of catching up to do! Please review? That cute little button's been very lonely the past few months…**


	13. Degrassi Drama Club

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 13: Degrassi Drama Club

The invitation felt heavy in his hands. He couldn't believe it. One minor little help out with the sets freshmen year had scored him a ticket to the Grundy's, the Teen Production Awards Ceremony. Schools from all over would be attending this event. Eli probably would only be representing the hard working Degrassi set crew, but even this was an honor to be had.

"Baby boy, did you get the mail?" Cece called from the kitchen. Eli was still standing frozen in shock from the piece of paper in his hands. Next thing he knew he heard his mother come up beside him and let out an excited squeal. "The _Grundy's_? Eli, this is fantastic!" She cried and hugged him tightly. "Oh I'm going to have to call your father and we'll make plans at Little Miss Steaks… It will be a night out! Do you still fit into your nice dress shirt? I'll have to take it down to the cleaners…" Eli let his mother's voice fade away as he looked at the date which seemed all _too_ familiar.

"Oh crap." He groaned. It's the same night as the Palahniuk reading.

Xxx

This morning, Cece didn't need to be at her liturgy meeting until ten. This meant she could drop Eli off at school. In the passenger seat, Eli messed with his purple polo and kept checking his phone. He had texted Clare as soon as his mother stopped babbling about their family plans. _Houston, we have a problem._ And since he pressed send, his insides had gone haywire. What would Clare say to a rain-check? And would Eli be able to survive three hours of family time with parents who hadn't had a decent conversation at normal volume in weeks? The only things keeping Eli afloat among this parental disaster were Clare, Adam and school. Without them at a Grundy Award ceremony it could be fatal.

Eli unfastened his seatbelt and tried to quickly exit his mother's car but before his foot was out the door a big lipstick smooch was placed on his cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Eli. Both of us are. Bullfrog is going to be so happy." Her fingers messed with his hair and Eli pulled out of her grasp.

"Mom!" He began to whine. Eli already felt the stares of his classmates and his face heated up. "I have to get to class." He climbed out of the car and adjusted the strap of his bag. "Adam and I are studying at The Dot later so I won't be home until late. But I'll text Dad and let him know about my victory, no need to call." He gave Cece a brief nod and sprinted off through the parking lot until he reached the front steps. Adam awaited him with a grin plastered on his face.

"I still saw that." He said smugly. Eli rolled his eyes. "So, Mr. Mama's boy, did you get your invite?"

Eli extracted the fancy letter from his backpack. "Degrassi Set Team and Crew have a nomination."

"Booyah!" Adam cheered and jumped up to congratulate his friend with a high five.

Oh the memories of the Drama Club last year. At the time, Eli had the "hots" for the much older, Student Council president, Holly J Sinclair. His crush seemed harmless. Backstage, he and Adam would mess around with the idea but sooner than later Holly J got a whiff of the silly rumor which led to a tail spin of events involving her boyfriend of the time, Declan Coyne. For a few weeks last year Eli and Declan were on rough terms but Eli explained it was only a huge misunderstanding. Holly J was taken and _way_ out of his league. Except on opening night Eli did receive a small peck on the cheek from the Queen Bee herself after doing a flawless job on the scenery and props switch.

"You know," Adam began and stretched up to wrap an arm across his mate's shoulders. "I always thought joining the Degrassi Drama club wouldn't be such a bad idea. And get this, not only do I had a spot on the Grundy guest list, but the Coyne's party too." Adam grinned from ear to ear. "It only was a few days man, I'm back in business." Eli maneuvered out of Adam's head lock and fell into step beside him instead.

"Congratz man, I'm happy for you."

"And I heard even better news from a little birdy I know," He coughed. "Imogen," Eli raised a brow. "That you and the _lovely_ Miss Edwards have a date too."

"Well aren't you in a good mood this morning." Eli retorted sarcastically. They had gotten to Eli's locker. Before he could even spin in his combo, he saw Fiona make her way down the hall and in two seconds flat Adam was out of sight.

"Hey there," Eli heard a sweet voice to his other side and automatically began to smile. Clare was leaning up against the locker beside his. She had spiced up her red polo and khaki skirt with black leggings and dangling jewelry around her neck and on her earlobes. Her simple black flats poked at his sneaker absentmindedly.

"Hey," Right then and there he wanted to kiss her, but Eli retrained himself.

"So what came up?" She asked. Clare held up her phone with his text brightly lit on the screen.

Eli handed her the invitation and continued taking books and binders from his locker. "My parents- scratch that, _Cece_ wants to make a night out of this award ceremony." Clare looked up at him, puzzled. "Look at the date and time. Ring a bell?" Clare chewed on her lip.

"Well this sucks." She scanned over the information once more before her eyes widened. "Wait- I know this situation is pretty awful- but you worked with Fiona's brother on his play? Declan directed this. This is awesome! I know it fucks up our plans, but I'm really psyched for you! Congratulations Eli!" Clare gave him a bright smile and reached out to give him a hug.

"I'm gonna try and skip out on the family thing, just so you know. If I get out right after the Grundy's we can still make it to the reading."

"But what about your parents, Eli?" Clare asked and returned the paper.

"If I leave them alone for a bit, maybe they'll finally work things out for once." He sighed. "It's gotten worse over the past few weeks. I needed to invest in ear plugs." Eli attempted to shake off the tension with a laugh but Clare wasn't having it. The two stopped in the middle of the hall. "If I skip out on Little Miss Steaks with my parents, I'd be with you and that's where I wanna be, Clare." Eli reached out to take her hand and gave it a squeeze.

Xxx

The night was planned precisely. At 6:30 PM Eli, Cece and Bullfrog would arrive at the Degrassi Community School for the Teen Grundy Awards. Immediately following the ceremony Eli would meet Clare in the school parking lot and head to the reading that started at 8 PM. After a reading and signing with Chuck, Eli and Clare would make it to the Coyne's apartment to party about their successes as actors and crew members. It was fool proof, until Bullfrog showed up late.

Cece had tapped her watch about fifty thousand times. Eli glanced at as she paced back and forth in the main lobby waiting. "Mom, I'm sure he'll be here any minute." Eli reassured her, but she didn't respond. "How about we head inside and grab a few seats?" He had already watched Adam and the rest of the Torres family march in fifteen minutes ago.

"We're walking in together." Cece said sternly. Eli sighed.

"Hey mom, I have plans tonight after the awards with friends. I was hoping I could skip out on Little Miss Steaks and-"

"No. As it is, our dinner reservations would be pushing past your curfew." She continued to stare Eli down. Eli was shocked. "Did you even text Bullfrog? He should be here by now… I'd call, but he'd snap at me…"

"Are you serious, Mom? I can't hang out with friends but I can sit around and watch you two get at each other's throats?"

"Stop it, Elijah. You're being fresh. Besides," Cece looked away; she seemed she was about to choke. "Your father and I need to talk to you afterwards. It's important."

"Talk about what?" Eli asked, but somehow he already knew the answer. Cece gave him a sad but knowing look and he couldn't take it. Eli walked away from her and waited by the auditorium doors.

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


	14. First Dates and Last Straws

**Author's Note: This chapter sat on my computer since I posted the last one. It's the longest chapter I've written but it moves the story along. Yes, it is different from the show, but I did sneak in familiar lines ;) Hope you all enjoy! Make sure you all review and tell your friends! **

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 14: First Dates and Last Straws

"Good evening families, students and faculty. I'm proud to welcome you all to the Degrassi hosted Grundy Awards!" For the first time in a while, Eli saw a genuine smile upon Mr. Simpson's face. It wasn't just because he was under intense lighting; the man actually didn't show any embarrassment or disappointment of his school. It had been weeks since Mr. Simpson had sensed or was notified of any of trouble with his students. The GPA's had been rising and the attendance record was improving significantly. "I'm so proud of every single talented and dedicated student here. Tonight, we celebrate the brightest and most creative minds from schools all over the city. Now, I would like to introduce you to the legend himself, Idem Grundy!" The crowd applauded immensely. A man in a tailored suit approached the stage the same moment Eli felt Bullfrog slide into the seat beside him.

"Hey, son," He whispered. He tossed a feigned apologetic smile to Cece. "Cece," He added coolly. Bullfrog wrapped his arm across his son's shoulders. "I'm so proud of you, buddy." His father was grinning from ear to ear, but Eli only tried to sink lower in his seat. His father didn't smell like the office. No, he smelt like something else, something _pretty_.

"Nice of you to finally show up Bullfrog." Cece snapped and crossed her legs.

"I would never miss my son's big debut." The hand on Eli's shoulder squeezed at Eli's collar bone a few times more.

"I'm sure you wouldn't." Eli glanced between his parents and wanted to scream.

"I want to hear what Mr. Grundy has to say." Eli hissed impatiently and with that, the bickering ceased temporarily.

Xxx

His ears hurt and with every word his parents harshly exchanged, Eli sank deeper into the auditorium seat. The entire time the host proclaimed the excellent work and presented the accolades, Bullfrog and Cece Goldsworthy fought. Eli wanted to puke. With each new award presented, one of them would sigh in awe at the work and other would bash it.

"And now for the students who devoted their time, effort and abilities to behind the scenes." Mr. Grundy announced from the podium. "In the end, without an excellent crew, no production could ever be performed…" Eli's hands melted into sweat. He caught Adam's eye across the room. Adam gave him a small nod.

"Of course we got this." Eli muttered under his breath.

"…Which is why this next award is presented to the Degrassi Drama Backstage Crew." At first, Eli couldn't believe what he had just heard. He turned his head to the isles and saw four or five of the crew members make their way to the stage. He was about to join them when Cece and Bullfrog's fighting was no longer confined to whispers. He couldn't understand what they were arguing about. All he heard was noise; awful, ear deafening noise. It never stopped.

Eli climbed to his feet and wanted to explode. "Guys!" They both stopped to stare at him. "For _once_ can something _not_ be about you and your _petty_ arguing?!" He shouted. Eli saw the eyes of the audience flicker to his shaking frame. He shook off their stares and stepped onto the stage where Adam had the microphone.

Adam cleared his throat. "Well, the crew is thankful for your nomination and win, but none of our work would be done so well without a play to begin with. So, we want to thank our directors, Declan Coyne and Holly J Sinclair, and the actors." The crowd went wild.

Before leaving the stage with the rest of the crew, Adam shot Eli a glare. In return Eli shook his head and took off down one of the wings. He wasn't going back out there.

"Bravo, Prop master." Eli looked up quickly to see Clare standing in front of him. "Job well done." She smiled at him like a friendly Cheshire cat.

"Thank you, although I might be well known now for that outburst back there, not just my props." Eli rubbed the back of his neck.

"Relax. It's over now, okay?" Clare's hands found their way to his shoulders and gave them a light squeeze. "It's gonna be me, you and Chuck this evening. No parents, no worries, no problems. And a quick stop at the Grundy after party to finish off the night." Clare's lips brushed against his cheek. "Sound cool?"

"Very cool," Eli told her and wound his arms around her torso. "Except my parents didn't approve. I'm looking at three weeks of grounding _tops _if I miss my curfew."

Disappointment clouded Clare's eyes. "Oh,"

Eli didn't want to go home. He dreaded the excruciating car ride and the conversation of whose taking custody of who back at the house. Screw it. Eli had obeyed his folks for as long as he could remember. One little night of fun – one last hurrah –would be just what he needed before his parents' split and it seemed like just the right medicine. "You know what, screw curfews. We're going to that reading whether my parents like it or not." Eli smirked.

The same expression infatuated Clare's face before she kissed him briefly on the lips. "What are we waiting for?"

Xxx

The night was cool and calm, but Eli's heart wouldn't stop beating fast. He had just spent the past hour in the same vicinity as Chuck Palahniuk listening to his work. As soon as he and Clare left the venue, the two instantly began quoting and discussing and praising the genius material. Their analyzing had taken them all the way to the part of town where Fiona Coyne's apartment was. In all the excitement of the reading, Clare was practically skipping down the sidewalk. It was completely ironic, really. The girl in her heavy duty combat boots, leather jacket, and blood red mini skirt was floating on air. "God, I _love_ Palahniuk's prose. It's just so _raw_ and _forceful_ and _dark_-"

"But not half as dark as his characters. Geez, they're sociopathic." Eli replied with a grin. He was surprised Clare wasn't spinning in circles at the moment waiting for rain.

"But to be a truly great writer, you need some damage to draw on." She countered with a devious grin.

"Guess you're halfway to the Pulitzer then." Eli told her and was about to follow her around the corner when his phone began to vibrate. He assumed it was Adam telling him to hurry his ass up, but instead Cece's text lit up his screen. "Crap." He muttered under his breath and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"Woah, you okay? Everything cool?"

"Yup, everything's fine. It wasn't Adam texting me, but I still think we should hurry on up there." Eli and Clare had finally made it to the front doors of Fiona's apartment building.

"Are you sure everything's okay? Was that your parents?" Eli didn't look her in the eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "It was your parents Eli, wasn't it?" He sadly nodded.

"But the text was something stupid, Clare. There's nothing to fret over-"

"Eli," Clare's hands wrapped around his forearms. "I don't want them to get the wrong impression of me." Eli stood there puzzled. "I like you and I want to keep seeing you. I know, I'm playing Captain Curfew at the moment, but I don't want to lose you. I just got you."

"Clare, the text was nothing. Everything's okay. If anything, my parents love you. They think you're awesome!" Clare smiled down at the ground. "Listen," He tucked a finger underneath her chin to make her look at him. "Tonight is out first date-"

"I'm really liking first date Eli, by the way." Clare interjected with a grin.

"Same here, first date Clare is pretty amazing herself."

"Maybe a date number two could happen soon?"

"What a sec, date number one isn't even over yet." Eli took Clare by the hand and led her to the door. He pulled at the handle and held the door ajar. "After you, m'lady."

"Why thank you, kind sir." Clare said and reached up to kiss him once more on the cheek before flying inside.

Xxx

The music wasn't loud enough to make him feel the beat in his bones, but it definitely was rocking, especially with Sav as DJ. Eli pointed up to the loft to Sav and threw him a wave. As soon as Eli and Clare stepped inside, Clare took Eli's hand so the two remained connected by their intertwined fingers. They weaved through the light crowd. Eli wasn't quite sure what to except. He had never been to a Coyne party before, but the party was nice.

Clare spotted Adam by the refreshments table chatting with Fiona. Fiona was loosely clutching a frosted wine glass. She laughed and giggled at Adam's jokes.

Clare then led Eli to the living room. "Congratz, Goldsworthy." A voice said over the music. Before them was Declan. Eli jumped up to extend his hand.

"Thank you, Declan. And congratulations to you too! That's some mighty award you earned tonight. You must be feeling pretty fantastic right now." Eli hadn't stopped shaking Declan's until he felt a pinch in his side from Clare and saw a wary look from the Coyne. "Sorry." Eli snaked his hand back into his pocket.

"Enjoy yourselves," Declan said with a grin before wandering off and taking another sip of his drink. Eli eyed the beverage. He knew what it was: champagne. At fundraise dinners they would have champagne on the tables. Rarely his parents drank it, but Eli thought it must taste okay.

"Care for a drink?" He asked Clare. The girl nodded. Eli took her hand momentarily and gave it a squeeze before running off to collect a few glasses. At the table, technically the kitchen island, Eli stumbled upon Adam and Fiona. Adam had a firm grip on Fiona's hip while Fiona was seconds away from devouring his friend. Eli tried not to cause a disturbance but when he reached for he and Clare's drinks- Eli opted for the punch- the glass chimed. Fiona looked up from her and Adam's lip lock and suddenly turned rosy.

"How about we take this elsewhere, Adam," She whispered with a gleam in her eye. Adam became flustered and flattered and let her lead him upstairs. He didn't even bother to send Eli a wave. Eli only watched them disappear. Adam was definitely going to be freaking out tomorrow morning.

Eli returned to Clare sitting on the couch. She was absorbing her surroundings and didn't notice him at first. He placed the drink in her hand and landed a light kiss on her cheek. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked her with a smirk. Clare took a sip of the sparkling liquid and nodded.

"I love this." She scooted closer to him on the couch and settled into the nook of his arm. "I'm so glad you could come with me to the reading." Clare peered up at Eli to smile. Suddenly very parched, he gulped down the entire glass of punch. There was a funny after taste, a very bitter one, but he took no notice.

"I'm glad I came too." Eli replied with an unexpected hiccup.

"Excuse you," Clare laughed.

Eli wasn't sure how many drinks had been drunk or how much time had passed, but one way or another, the two landed on the dance floor in close contact. The music was upbeat, neither Clare nor Eli's taste, but Eli really didn't mind. He had never been so physically close to Clare before. He felt her breathing against his chest; he smelt the jasmine and sweat off her skin and for a writer, her hips went wild. Sooner than later their intimate dancing turned into kissing. In his intoxicated daze, which he couldn't determine if it was from this girl or something else, he heard Clare giggle and pull him away from the crowd. Somehow, the later it got, the more people accumulated in the apartment. Eli stumbled behind Clare and followed her bouncing curls. She led him down a hallway off the main living space.

"Come here, you," She laughed and gripped the collar of his jacket.

"You know how at school there's no PDA?" Eli asked. A smile danced along Clare's lips. "Are you up for some contraband kissing?" She didn't even answer him; instead she brought his lips to hers with one last tug on his blazer.

Xxx

His head hurt, he felt like he was spinning and he felt something or _someone_ beside him. In his sleepy state, Eli heard a yawn and then a sudden gasp. In seconds he was shaken awake to find Clare beside him. Her eyes were wide. "Eli! Eli, wake up! We're late for school." She jumped up and readjusted her clothing. Her outfit was rumpled and wrinkled. What happened last night? "Shit." Clare spat when her eyes focused back on him.

Eli squinted from the bright sunlight flooding the condo- Condo? Fiona's condo? "Shit!" Eli jolted from his drowsy stupor and hit his head on the wall. His hand reached for the tender spot and he groaned. "What the hell happened last night?" He asked Clare, but he got the feeling she wasn't very sure either. His pocket vibrated. Eli extracted his cell phone to find twelve brand new messages from Cece, even some from Bullfrog, all of which were urgent. A pain ran through Eli's brain, he winced. "I feel awful, is this what being hung over feels like?"

"I think someone spiked the punch." Clare said to him. "How much did you drink last night?"

Eli tried to think back, but was incapable. "I lost count after about five." He confessed.

"Can you walk? Are you thinking straight? Are you gonna barf?" Eli shook his head.

"Not really, just a tad dizzy that's all. But Clare, I'm fine." Eli eased himself off the floor and steadied on his feet. "See? All good." He offered Clare a reassuring smile and reached out to kiss her. She still tasted sweet.

"Oh no," Clare teased and pushed him away. "No kissing until you're cleaned up."

"I have an extra polo in my gym locker, I'm fine. " Eli glanced down at what he wore. His shoes were fine and his khakis from the night before were only a little wrinkly. "What about you?"

"I'm covered, not to worry. Imogen is _bound_ to have some back up outfits in her locker I can borrow." Clare laughed. "It's like her personal wardrobe in there…"

"Oh I bet," He said with a smirk. Now that they had a plan, Eli thought it was acceptable to lean in for a kiss, but his eyes sidetracked to see Adam sneaking down the stairwell that led to the loft. "Adam?" He whispered. "What the-" There was Adam, creeping from Fiona's bedroom with what looked like a heart shaped hickey on his collar bone.

Adam instantly shushed him and hastily motioned for the exit. Eli turned to Clare who was stuck staring at the misfit boy. Overhead, there was rustling and movement. "Get out of here!" Adam hissed at them and waited for Clare and Eli to be safely across the living room before climbing back upstairs to care to a hung over, sleepy Fiona Coyne.

Once outside, Eli squinted at the blast of brightness. It was early, but they were still going to be late for school. The two rushed down the street- Clare actually running; Eli stumbling frantically behind her- back to Clare's hearse which was parked three blocks away near the book shop. They scrambled inside and headed to school. Just as they were pulling into the parking lot, the first period bell sounded. "Catch you at lunch?" Eli asked Clare. She nodded. He reached for her face and kissed her roughly on the lips. He wasn't completely sure why he felt the need to do this, maybe it was the remaining dosage of alcohol in his bloodstream, or possibly the hormones that were still craving from last night, either way he enjoyed his kisses with Clare. When he finally detached himself from her, her eyelids were left fluttering and her lips raw.

"See you later." She replied breathlessly. Eli wanted to wait for the smile to form on her lips, but turned and climbed out of the hearse. He closed the door but spun around because he knew he had forgotten something.

"By the way, what _happened_ last night?" His elbows rested on the rolled down window.

Clare sputtered out a laugh. "An intense make out session for two hours," Eli's face grew warm. "Nothing _too_ racy and then we cuddled in the hallway. You passed out first." She smirked at him. Eli tried to cover his face. "Get going, Goldsworthy. As it is, we're already late for first period." She threw him one last smile before he trekked to the front doors. In his pocket, his phone vibrated again, but Eli ignored it and glanced back at Clare who had just exited the hearse.

Xxx

The rest of the morning cruised by smoothly. Eli's phone had stopped receiving messages from his parents, Adam appeared late in third period with a grin plastered to his face and now he was about to meet Clare for lunch. It may have been hard to believe, but Eli was still buzzed. Somehow the toxins had remained in his system from last night. He still wasn't sure of how much of the spiked punch he consumed, but thankfully, no barfing had occurred though Eli found himself distracted most of the time. During all of his early classes, Clare was all he could think about. Her touch, her taste and her smile wafted through his mind. That is, until he got to lunch.

Clare waited for Eli by his locker. Instead of her mini skirt and combat boots from last night, she adorned a red polo and khaki pants. Imogen even lent her a pair of spikey purple flats. "Hello again," She half-heartedly smiled. Her hair had been rearranged into a tight bun and her makeup was redone.

"Hello to you too," Eli didn't even bother to open up his locker; instead he caught Clare around the waist and kissed her deeply. At first she welcomed him, but her sweetness went sour. She pulled away and held Eli at arm's length.

"What has gotten into this morning?" She hissed. Clare's eyes flickered from Eli's face to the stares they were receiving. "You know there's no PDA at school. And seriously? What's with being so handy all of a sudden?" She slapped at his hand on her waist. "School codes: follow them. I don't need another detention."

Suddenly Eli's phone went off again. He rolled his eyes at another message from his mom. Just as he was about to put it away, Clare snatched it. "This has been going off all night and all morning. Something is seriously wrong at home." She clicked on the most recent message and scowled in disgust, but Eli saw a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "You said last night things were fine, this doesn't look fine at all."

"I thought if I kept ignoring the problem it would go away…"

"Life doesn't happen that way, Eli."

"My parents are going through a divorce, Clare, and as soon as I walk through that door they're going to tell me that it's over. Twenty-two years of marriage gone to shit."

The disgust on Clare's face remained. "How is playing me as a pawn in your parental showdown help anyone, Eli?"

"I thought that if they were both mad at me, they'd stop being mad at each other and have something in common!"

"Eli, you can't fix your parents spitting up, they've already decided."

"Then maybe they'll realize that their family is deteriorating, how it's messing up their son."

"Well I'm not playing that game." Clare spat bitterly. Then her eyes clouded with hurt. "So the only reason you wanted to go to the reading and the party was to get them mad at you? You got drunk, it was all for them too, right?" Her eyes never met his gaze. "You tried to hurt them, but I'm the one who got burned." She shook her head, completely mortified and broken.

"Clare-" He tried to reach out to her but she backed away sharply.

"That's enough." She adjusted the strap on her bag, which was a moment away from dropping to the floor. "Sober up, Eli, and get your shit together." She looked over his trembling frame one last time before disappearing down the next corridor.

Eli was crushed. He forgot about lunch, about his homework and his next few classes and immediately headed for the double doors. He needed to go home. Clare was right. He had put off the inevitable for too long. Walking home cleared his mind momentarily. In a store front window he tried to fix his bedhead before returning home but his reflection wasn't cooperating.

Eli trudged up the front steps and found his house key in his backpack. The door clicked open. It was quiet, except for some small chatter in the kitchen. He didn't announce his arrival but it was like he had. Cece appeared in the living room and looked like she was about to either hug him or murder him. Even Bullfrog who followed close behind had worry etched into his wearing features. Eli fought the urge to apologize because why would it matter? In seconds his parents would tell him what he already knew. He trained his eyes to the floor, unable to look at his parents face to face.

"Baby boy," Cece began. "You father and I-"

"Bullfrog! You always call him Bullfrog, Mom." Eli shouted. Cece looked strained.

"Son, what Cece and I are trying to say is-" Bullfrog didn't need to finish that sentence.

Eli finished for them. "You guys are getting a divorce."

"I'm sorry Baby boy," Cece whimpered. She slowly approached him and he let her hold him tightly. There weren't any tears. Eli made sure of it. He wasn't going to cry. Bullfrog watched his son crumple to pieces and extended and arm to squeeze his shoulder.

"Everything will blow over soon, Bud, don't you worry." Eli highly doubted that and hugged Cece tighter.

**REVIEW!**


	15. Mending

**Author's Note: Hello guys! Long time no see. I haven't updated this story in ages. I've recently stopped watching Degrassi. Now don't fret, I'll continue this story up to the point that I stopped watching (which is right before Cam died). I wanted to let you know where this will end. Not sure how long that will take (might have to re-watch past episodes to get reacquainted with the plot again) but keep an eye out for updates in the near future!**

**Ok so I never actually clarified what Bullfrog, Cece, Randall, and Helen's jobs were. I understand I made a personality swap and making Clare and Eli's parent's swap personalities as well makes sense but it's my story, I'm going to do whatever I want. Bullfrog is still going to be a disc jockey. Yeah, yeah, Cece is a hardcore religious person (in this story) attending church fundraisers and having a big influence on Eli religiously, but it's too weird to imagine Randall as a disc jockey, you know? So just go with it.**

**Different Perspectives**

_Eli Goldsworthy and Clare Edwards_

Summary: Clare is the rebel; the black-wearing, smirking, bantering, fiction writer. Eli is the altar boy; the brightly colored, sweet and kind, aspiring journalist. Opposites attract, don't they?

Chapter 15: Mending

Eli hadn't slept. All night he had spent tossing and turning and constantly thinking about what lay ahead of him in the morning. Bullfrog was moving out. Already he had been spending nights at the station but now it would be official. Cece had instructed Eli to pack up some things to leave at Bullfrog's new apartment just outside town. When Eli awoke late Saturday afternoon he opened his eyes to find a couple of cardboard boxes waiting at his disposal. He didn't want to do anything. He didn't want to move or eat or talk to anybody, even Adam. He knew he couldn't talk to Clare. She wouldn't be able to look at him until he figured out what was going on at home and in his head. Monday would be torture not talking to her but Eli knew it made sense. He hurt her. Whether he had intended to or not he used her to get back at his parents. Clare had every right to be disappointed in him. Eli eventually got out of bed. His head was sore and his body felt groggy. The high he had been on the past few days had finally crashed and right now he was certainly paying for it.

Eli went downstairs to find belongings already in boxes. Bullfrog's CD and movie collections were getting boxed up and prepped for ship out. Cece was making sure Bullfrog had nothing in her house. Any family photograph was tossed into containers. She didn't want anything left of him.

"Take anything you want, Eli." She told him when he walked into the living room. "Anything you don't want I'm going to give to your fath- _Bullfrog_ in the morning." Eli wandered over to the box of music collections. He sifted through the albums. He remembered the songs Bullfrog would play for him when he was growing up. He remembered all of it and didn't want anything taken away from him. Eli scooped up a few CDs from one of the boxes and a family photo from another box lying in the entryway. He grabbed a bowl of cereal in the kitchen and climbed back up the stairs.

While eating his cereal he started thinking. He had all this music. This music was from his childhood and held some of the best memories he had with his father. Eli grabbed the albums off his dresser and grabbed his laptop.

For the rest of the weekend he made a mixed CD of all he and Bullfrog's favorite songs. He had collected songs by The Beatles and Metallica and The Who and The Rolling Stones all on one disc. So while Cece was downstairs packing his dad up in boxes, Eli had spent the weekend putting him back together again.

By Monday morning, Eli's stuff for Bullfrog's apartment was packed. He arrived at school not in the best mood but certainly in a better state than he had been on Friday. He had cleaned up, dealt with the problem and was hoping Clare would talk to him again. He waited for her to approach him, which didn't take very long. By the end of third period, Clare was at his locker.

"So how are you?" She asked. She sounded genuinely concerned.

"Some of my stuff got packed up for my Dad's apartment this weekend. I have belongings in boxes ready to be shipped out of town. My dad left Friday night to stay at the radio station. It's happening and I can't do anything to stop it." Eli forcefully opened up his locker and shoved some books inside.

"I'm sorry, Eli. It must be so difficult to see that."

"I'm better. I'm sober. I promised myself I wouldn't ever drink again. That party was a one time thing, okay?" He looked up at Clare. "And I'm sorry what I did to you. You have every right to hate me right now."

"Eli, I don't hate you."

"Really?"

"Last week I was mad at you, but I could never hate you." Clare placed a hand on his shoulder. "I was thinking a lot this weekend. I'm with you on this. I know you're going through tough times right now and I'm here to support you."

Eli smiled. "So you're saying you're my rock?"

Clare laughed. "Yeah. I'm your rock, shoulder to cry on, you name it."

"So we're good?" Eli asked.

"Yeah, we're good." Clare reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "Ready for lunch? I thought we could drive to the Dot today."

"Sure, sounds great. Hey and Clare, I made you something." Eli pulled the mixed CD out of his bag. "My dad's infamous rock album collection was getting packed in boxes so I got a chance to listen to some of the music. I just put a CD together of tracks I thought you'd like." He handed her the disc.

"Thanks Eli! That's so thoughtful of you." She hugged him. "I'll quick put this away in my locker for safe keeping." Clare and Eli rounded the corner to get to Clare's locker. On the way there, one of the members of the Jesus Club caught Eli by the shoulder.

"Hi Eli," The girl smiled. Eli remembered that her name was Samantha. She was older than he was; she was a junior, and President of the Jesus Club. "We heard about your family. You're in our prayers and know that we'll always be here if you ever want to talk."

"Oh, um thanks, ok."

"You're welcome!" She then ran over to her friends down the hall.

"Gotta love Jesus Club." Clare smirked.

"Yeah, six months ago I would have said the same thing. Not so much anymore. The world isn't as black and white."

"Well, you got Adam and I. We have your back." Clare smiled at him before turning to her locker, spinning the combo and opening the door. When she opened the door, about a dozen of mismatched trinkets, books and loose papers fell out. Her locker was filled to the brim. There wasn't even room for a paperback.

"Maybe Jesus Club can take on your locker as a humanitarian disaster." Eli remarked with a chuckle and bent down to retrieve a fallen notebook. He handed it to Clare who was blushing feverishly.

"You go on ahead; I'll meet up with you at the hearse." Eli nodded and continued on his way to the parking lot.

Xxx

Eli ran into Adam after lunch. He didn't look as cheery as he usually did. He was sitting by himself out in the courtyard playing a game on his phone.

"Hey dude, the bell rang." Eli reminded him and sat down beside his friend. Adam scooted over, still enveloped in his game. Eli waved his hand in front of the screen.

"Stop it. I'm playing a game." Adam replied sternly.

"Something happened. What happened?"

Adam sighed. He paused the game and Eli swore he was about to punt his phone at the wall. "Fiona's been drinking."

"We know that already. Miss. Coyne likes her champagne."

"Yeah well I found out why she's been drinking."

"What? Why?"

"Me."

Eli was stunned. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah I'm Trans, Fiona couldn't handle it; started drinking alcohol like water. She just told me about it today. Well not really, she was drunk so she accidently told me about it today." Adam was broken. "I can't see her or talk to her. I can't even think about her without feeling sick to my stomach."

"Why aren't you going to class?"

"She's in my math class. I'm skipping."

"Well if you're skipping, I'll skip too." Eli said. "Where do you want to go?"

"It doesn't matter just not my Math class." Adam collected his books and backpack and headed for the hallway. "Can we go to the comic book store?"

"You got it buddy."

Eli followed Adam back into the school and directed him towards the nearest side exit. For a fall afternoon, it was warm outside. Adam and Eli walked into town to visit the comic book store. Eli had some extra change in his wallet and told his friend he'd buy him a comic book. When Adam asked why he said it was a special occasion. Adam was now a free man and free of a woman who didn't deserve him. Adam only half smiled but immediately began sifting through the containers of comics to find a good one worth his buck.

After about an hour Adam had picked out five comics, all about the Avengers. There was a series on the team of heroes and after reading the first chapter of the first book, Adam decided to take the first five. The two then spent the rest of the day at the Dot reading their new purchases and sipping chocolate milkshakes.

Once he took a large slurp of his second milkshake, Adam started talking again. "Fiona and I are over and already I know someone else has the hots for her."

"Who would that be?"

"Drew." Eli almost choked on his shake.

"What?!"

"Yup. They're both going to this food drive my mom is in charge of after school today. Drew has been asking me about her for weeks."

"Didn't he know that you two were-?"

"Didn't believe it. He thought I was making it up. He thought I was just hanging out with you all the time for the past two months." Eli wanted to spit.

"I'm sorry, but your brother's a dick."

"Tell me about it." Adam rolled his eyes and took another mouthful of his milkshake, finishing off yet another one. "I'm getting more." He said and got up to order a new shake.

In the meantime, Eli grabbed his phone. Clare had texted him, asking if he was okay and where he was. _Adam needed a pick me up. Got dumped. Comic Book and Milkshake run. _He pressed send and waited for her reply. The wait was short, Clare texted him back quick. _Aww poor Adam :( Tell him to feel better. I'm going out to dinner with the family I'll text you later tonight._

Adam arrived back at the table with another milkshake. "I love you, Milkshake!" He exclaimed and dropped his straw into the frothy, frosty goodness. He took a sip and hummed with content. "I could drink these forever." He stopped sipping and looked up at Eli. "So how's home? I forget to ask."

"Alright." Eli played with his straw. "My dad is moving out. My mom has been packing away his stuff all weekend."

"Did they find out about the after party?" Adam asked.

"They were too busy being mad at each other to be mad at me. They just thought I spent the night with you playing videogames. Didn't even question me the next day why I looked so terrible. So I got a free pass but I'm never drinking again."

"Neither am I. I mean, not that I drank that night. Fiona drank enough for the two of us. I stayed sober just to make sure she didn't die or something." Adam paused and then quickly went back to slurping his milkshake.

"Forget about her, okay? She's not worth it."

They spent the rest of the school day reading comic books and then went back to Adam's house to play the newest Assassin's Creed. Eli left Adam full of ice cream and with plenty of distractions and headed home.

He returned home to find Bullfrog and Cece sitting at opposite sides of the kitchen table. Between them was a newspaper opened to the real estate section. They were arguing already over prices and utilities. Eli groaned. "Stop it!" He shouted over their bickering. "I get it, you want to move on and not be together anymore but the least you can do is be civil with each other. You were together for _twenty two years_ for crying at loud! You can spend an hour or two of your time in the same room as decent human beings." He didn't even take off his backpack. Eli walked towards the door just as quickly as he had arrived home.

"Eli, where are you going?" Bullfrog called after him.

"I'm going out. My phone is on. Don't need me." And with that he slammed the door shut and started running.

Xxx

Eli kept running until he was outside Little Miss Steaks. Taking a deep breath he entered the restaurant and told the hostess he was meeting a few people here. Once inside he scanned the numerous tables until his eyes landed upon Clare and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards. Eli smiled to himself and approached the table.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards," Eli said cheerfully.

"Eli?" Clare asked, very surprised that he was here. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"Please, Eli, sit! Clare has told us so much about you!" Mrs. Edwards pointed to the open chair beside Clare.

"Thanks Mrs. Edwards-"

"Oh, no-call me Helen. Mrs. Edwards makes me sound so old." Helen smiled brightly at him. Helen wore a brightly patterned dress. Her shoulder length hair was pulled back out of her face and on her ears were dangling gold earrings shaped like leaves.

"Eli, may I introduce you to Helen and Randall Edwards, my parents." Clare half smiled, clearly embarrassed he was meeting her parents like this.

"So, Eli what brings you to Little Miss Steaks?" Randall asked. Unlike his wife, with her bright patterns and shiny jewelry, Randall was in a dress shirt and jeans but Eli notced he was wearing open toed sandals.

"Family troubles, that's all." Clare gave him a wary look. She looked concerned. "I just needed to get out of the house for a bit."

"Well whenever you need a place to crash know there's always a bed at the Edwards' residence." Randall told him.

"Thanks, it's great to know I'll have a guest room with my name on it." Eli smiled. Clare sunk deeper in her seat.

"Oh, no guest room. I meant you could always share a bed with Clare if need be." He clarified.

"She even has a double bed in there." Helen added.

Eli's face fell. He was a tad shocked to learn Clare's parents were okay with a guy sleeping with their daughter in the same bed under their roof and most likely right down the hall.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, mind if I talk to Eli for a second?" Her parents just sat there smiling at the two of them. "Alone?" Clare raised a brow and it was only then they understood. Helen and Randall got up from the table. Randall grabbed a handful of fries before leaving and Helen patted Eli on the shoulder before they were out of sight and out of earshot.

"You didn't tell me in your text it was bad at home." Clare said once her parents were gone. "I could have picked you up and we could have hung out elsewhere, not have dinner with my parents…"

"Would you have invited me to spend the night?"

"Eli, my parents are… unconventional."

"I see that." Eli played with a thread on his shirt.

"Eli, look at me. I wouldn't ask you unless you were completely comfortable. The only reason they asked you so publicly like that is because they assumed-"

"That we're dating and that we have sex?" Eli asked.

"My last boyfriend had a habit of spending the night."

"You and Reece slept together?"

Clare was quiet.

"Cool! And now you're dating a good little Christian boy!" Eli could taste the false cheeriness in his voice. He didn't mean to sound sarcastic but the situation was so strange and he was very different from her ex-boyfriend. Yes, he adored Clare and loved making out with Clare but making out with someone and sleeping in the same bed with someone were two very different concepts. It was also something very new to Eli and he wasn't too sure how to handle it. "Does it bother you at all? Does it bother you that I've made up my mind to wait until I'm married to- _you know_…"

"Sometimes, yeah. It's not my favorite thing but it's what you want to do. That's what it's gotta be."

Clare was older than Eli. She was definitely more experienced in particular _fields_ than Eli was and he knew it sounded crazy that a guy would be the one holding off on sex. But it was the way he was raised. His mom taught him the bible. He went to Sunday school growing up and as he got older learned morals and set boundaries that he would follow as a young adult. Everyone always told Eli he was so mature for his age. He thought first and then took action, which was something very few guys his age did. He refused to fight Fitz, Owen and Bianca. He wanted to wait to have sex with Clare. For a while now he had known he wanted to wait until marriage for sex. Sex was intimate and something special shared between two people who loved each other. In his mind, it was not tribal or that happened simply because of hormones. He knew about sex but he wanted to make love to a girl he adored and loved. Unlike the average guy, yeah he wanted it to mean something.

"We're really different, aren't we?"

"Opposites attract."

Eli looked at Clare. There was something about her that got his heart beating faster and his mind racing and much of that was because she was Clare, she was perfect. Yes, much of the reason why he loved all the little things about her was because she was very different from him. But he was finding that different wasn't always the best. Just look at his parents. They were very different, and only recently they had realized they were too different to be compatible. "I'm gonna go. Adam was still bummed when I saw him last. I gotta go check on him." Eli got up from the table.

"Eli, wait-"

"I'll call you tomorrow, Clare." And with that he left the restaurant.

Xxx

All Jesus Club members had dragged over chairs to sit in a circle in one of the English classrooms after school. When everyone was standing up and paying attention, Samantha started a prayer. ""He leads me besides still waters, he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Amen."" Everyone sat down in their chairs.

He wasn't sure why he had come. He most likely wanted guidance. Adam and his parents were of no use in this situation and he had found that Clare and he shared very different views. He didn't know if he could really sit down and talk to her about his family troubles when her home life varied so greatly.

"Would anyone like to start?" Samantha prompted. Eli looked around at the other kids in the circle. He knew these students. He had gone to Sunday school with them and saw them at church every Sunday. These were people who understood his reasoning because they shared similar morals and had been taught the same lessons. When no one offered to start, Eli took a chance and hesitantly raised his hand. "Yes, Eli, go right ahead." Samantha smiled at him. "What's on your mind?"

"My parents. I used to count on them for everything. They taught me right from wrong. They told me divorce was bad and sex before marriage was a sin," Eli stopped when out of the corner of his eye he saw Clare quietly enter the room and take a seat in an empty chair. Eli was confused about why she was here but shook it off and finished his thought. "But now they're getting a divorce. They say they're too different and I asked were they always different or did something change and they said that they were… always different but hoped that they would go together." Eli glanced at Clare.

"Jesus is always there for you." Samantha said, turning Eli's attention back to the discussion.

"If Jesus loves me so much why does he want me to go through this?"

"It's all part of his plan-"

"Well his plan sucks." Clare spat. Her arms were crossed and she was stiff as a statue. Eli knew she didn't believe any of this.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Samantha asked sternly.

"Just a girl trying to have a rational discussion." Clare replied.

Samantha was close to getting up but Eli stopped her before either her or Clare could make a move. "She's just a friend trying to help me figure things out." Eli didn't want to be here anymore. There was no path and no answers that made sense anymore and this club and discussion wasn't helping. "Have a nice lunch." He said and left the room.

Eli wasn't even down half the hallway before he heard Clare call his name. He walked quicker and didn't look back but she must have run after him because she caught his arm and turned him around. "Eli, wait-"

He was trying to laugh and hide the knot in the back of his throat. He wasn't going to cry. He couldn't lose any more of his masculinity. Not now, not today, not ever. He tried to stay stone cold and thought out his words carefully so his wouldn't break. "I bet you loved that. Saint Elijah is a crisis of faith." He kept a steady gaze on his shoes. "I'm losing everything that I care about, everything I love and I can't do anything to stop it."

He could feel Clare taking hold of his hands. She gave them a tight squeeze. "Not me." Eli took a deep breath and swallowed any threat of tears before looking at her. Clare was smiling at him but it was such a sad smile. It was almost as if the pain he felt, she was feeling it too. "I'm not going anywhere." She whispered and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. She held him tight and it was only then, when Eli returned the embrace and pulled Clare even closer and tucked his face into her shoulder that he let a little bit of that pain go. He still dint cry but he was able to breathe right again. In his arms was a life line. In his arms he had Clare, no matter how different they were she would understand him and support him.

"Thanks for being my rock." Eli whispered back and hugged Clare even tighter.

**Hope this is enough to hold you over until the next update! REVIEW! The review button's been very lonely! :)**


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